A Travis County arrest warrant was issued for a Texas Health and Human Services (HHS) director on May 13 for alleged insurance fraud. Jerrod Wytez Holton is accused of knowingly misleading authorities investigating a car fire in March.
When questioned by NBC News, HHS confirmed that Jerrod W. Holton has served as director II for the Texas HHS Access and Eligibility Services division.
However, Holton’s attorney said his client denies all criminal allegations and will be found not guilty.
“We are confident that the evidence will prove his innocence,” Aragon told NBC News.
The issued affidavit states that the Austin Fire Department responded to reports of a vehicle fire around noon on March 15. Upon arrival, Austin firefighters discovered a Jeep Grand Cherokee completely engulfed in flames, NBC reports.
The affidavit notes that after flames were extinguished, investigators discovered portions of an unburned red plastic fuel container from the vehicle’s interior and determined the fire’s source to be incendiary.
The Jeep’s owner, later allegedly identified as Holton, first called 911 to report the vehicle had been stolen approximately three hours after AFD had responded to the fire. Additionally, the caller told police he had reported the stolen vehicle to insurance.
During a recorded video interview, Holton described to the Austin PD where he had left the car before its theft and mentioned accidentally leaving the doors unlocked and a key fob inside, according to the affidavit.
APD recovered video surveillance, toll road usage records, and cell phone data from the day of the vehicle’s theft and subsequent fire during investigations.
The affidavit claims that the APD’s evidence did not match what was provided by Holton. Reportedly, none of three separate video recordings from the location and time of the supposed theft captured the vehicle.
An APD officer commented, “No Jeep Grand Cherokee is ever observed parked in front of this location.”
In addition, the toll record investigations reportedly show it would have been “physically impossible” for Holton to have returned to the vehicle and discovered it was missing before calling to report it.
In a follow-up interview, “Holton confessed to having lied to investigators about his activities and knowledge of the events involving his Jeep Grand Cherokee,” states the affidavit.
APD spoke with Holton’s insurance company and allegedly confirmed Holton had made false statements under oath. According to the insurance company’s report, he had full coverage valued at $16,000 on the vehicle.
NBC investigated Holton’s criminal history and found three separate counts of fraud and a count for passing a worthless bank check in Florida from 2003 to 2009. However, Florida court records indicate the fraud charges were dismissed, and adjudication was withheld on the bad check offense.
Holton was booked into the Travis County Jail on May 13 for his alleged insurance fraud before being released on a $5,000 bond. He was placed on leave from the HHS as of May 18.