TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – During Tuesday’s meeting of the Florida Cabinet, Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis honored Department of Financial Services Lieutenant Glen Clasen as a recent recipient of the United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Florida’s Outstanding Law Enforcement Officer of the Year Award. Lt. Clasen was honored for his work on a high-profile personal injury protection (PIP) case that led to a successful 14-year mail fraud conviction in federal court.

 

CFO Patronis said, “PIP fraud has driven up the cost of car insurance in our state, and it’s a crime that our Department had dedicated significant resources to fighting in Florida. We’re making great strides, and Lt. Clasen’s dedication to this case reiterates our collective commitment to breaking down these fraud rings at the highest levels. His award and recognition are well-deserved for a job well done.”

 

Prior to joining the Department of Financial Services, Lt. Clasen served the Fort Myers Police Department, as well as in the United States Navy as a search and rescue swimmer aboard the USS John F. Kennedy. Lt. Clasen joined the Department in 2006 as a detective assigned to the Bureau of Insurance Fraud’s Fort Myers Field Office. He was promoted to lead detective in 2013 and lieutenant in June 2015.

 

The PIP case that led to Lt. Clasen’s award involved a large-scale criminal network that spanned from Kentucky to Fort Myers, Florida. Lt. Clasen partnered with the FBI, the Internal Revenue Service and the National Insurance Crime Bureau to unravel the fraud ring that involved staged vehicle accidents, straw clinic ownership, fraudulent insurance claims, money laundering and mail fraud. Throughout the duration of the investigation, Lt. Clasen conducted hours of surveillance and secured a confidential source who provided information critical to the case.

 

The lieutenant contacted each of the involved insurance companies and assisted them in identifying fraudulently-billed claims. The evidence gathered throughout the course of the investigation led law enforcement to the ringleader of the network, who was tried, convicted and sentenced to 14 years in federal prison last September.

 

The Department of Financial Services is the state of Florida’s lead investigative agency for insurance and workers’ compensation fraud, fire and arson investigations and the theft or misuse of state funds. To report suspected fraud, call the Department’s toll-free Fraud Tip Hotline at 1-800-378-0445.