SAN ANTONIO – A former Castroville police chief has been convicted of a wire fraud charge connected to a scheme to fake a vehicle theft, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas.
Christopher Filline, 58, was convicted on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in federal court.
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He was indicted in January 2020 in connection with a scheme he developed in 2016 to defraud Farmers Insurance Group by destroying his vehicle and claiming it had been stolen, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Filline had two co-conspirators take the vehicle and light it on fire using an accelerant before he filed a false stolen vehicle report with the Lytle Police Department and an insurance claim with Farmers Insurance Group, court documents state.
Filline was paid $14,388.25 from the insurance company after filing the report.
The Bexar County Fire Marshal’s Office, FBI and Texas Department of Public Safety investigated the case.
He faces up to 20 years in federal prison for the conviction and a $250,000 fine. A sentencing hearing is set for Jan. 22, 2025.
