Convicted insurance fraudster gets prison sentence, must pay $350,000 after investigation involving Texas Department of Insurance

Texas Department of Insurance, May 2, 2025

A federal judge sentenced a McAllen woman who helped commit property and title fraud schemes to 24 months in prison and three years of supervised release.

Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane also ordered Mayela Saby Cantu to pay $350,000 in restitution, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas announced.

The FBI, McAllen Police Department, and Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) conducted the investigation.  It was touched off by customers of a title firm suspecting that title insurance transactions were being mismanaged.

Cantu, an escrow officer at the title company, pled guilty in December after admitting she used falsified lien payoff statements, fraudulent warranty deeds and deceptive emails to mislead lenders, title companies, and property buyers.

In one instance, Cantu directed others to create a phony email address resembling that of a legitimate lienholder. Cantu then used the fake account to send false payoff amounts via interstate wires, leading a title company to wrongly pay out more than $350,000.

Cantu facilitated other false property transactions, including arranging closings on properties that had already been sold, and accepting undisclosed cash payments.

If you suspect insurance fraud, call TDI’s Help Line at 800-252-3439 Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central time.

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