After years serving as an embedded insurance fraud prosecutor for the Texas Department of Insurance in Dallas County, Patrick Cryer is beginning a new chapter in Austin as TDI’s Chief Prosecutor and Fraud Counsel.
The transition is more than a new title, it’s an opportunity to continue learning while helping strengthen fraud prosecution efforts across Texas.
“It’s exciting to do something that’s a little outside my comfort zone and learn something new,” Cryer said.
Although he originally found himself prosecuting fraud through a routine assignment in the Dallas County District Attorney's Office, the work quickly became a passion. He believes insurance fraud is different from other crimes because its impact reaches every Texan.
“We're all affected by fraud,” Cryer said. “We see it every time we pay our insurance bill.”
Insurance fraud drives up premiums, strains resources, and ultimately increases costs for policyholders. By holding offenders accountable, Cryer says prosecutors help protect both consumers and the integrity of Texas' insurance system.
In his new leadership role, Cryer hopes to expand those efforts beyond Texas’ largest counties. One idea he is eager to explore is developing regional prosecution resources for rural areas where insurance fraud cases may otherwise sit untouched.
“I'd like to see if there are cases sitting in boxes gathering dust,” he said. “If we can move those forward, I'd like to see that happen.”
He also hopes to continue building awareness around the importance of prosecuting insurance fraud. As fraud has become a more visible topic in the national conversation, Cryer sees an opportunity to remind Texans that insurance fraud affects everyone, not only through government spending, but also through the premiums consumers pay every day.
“I think that's an opportunity,” he said. “People are realizing fraud affects them—not just through tax dollars, but through their insurance premiums as well.”
For Cryer, TDI’s embedded prosecutor model has been an important part of that mission. Working within a district attorney's office while remaining dedicated exclusively to insurance fraud allows prosecutors to focus on complex financial investigations that might otherwise compete with higher-profile criminal cases. That dedicated focus helps ensure insurance fraud cases continue moving forward and that those who commit fraud are held accountable.
Colleagues who know Cryer professionally may be surprised to learn that outside the courtroom, he spends his evenings performing stand-up comedy throughout Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas.
“My second job is doing stand-up,” he joked.
Comedy, he says, provides a welcome balance to the serious nature of criminal prosecution and offers an outlet after spending his days handling complex fraud cases.
As Cryer relocates to Austin and begins working with the Travis County District Attorney's Office, he's looking forward to building new relationships while continuing TDI's mission of protecting Texas consumers through effective fraud prosecution.
For Cryer, the work ultimately comes back to one simple goal: “Getting people to care about these cases.”
