TX DWC News

Travis County Drywall Owner Faces $170,000 Workers' Comp Fraud Charges

The Texas Department of Insurance, Division of Workers' Compensation Fraud Unit has announced felony fraud charges against Cristino Tapia Castaneda, owner of Texana Drywall Construction. Castaneda is charged with three counts including Securing Execution of Document by Deception (2nd-degree felony) and Insurance Fraud (state jail felony), totaling $170,000 in alleged fraud from a scheme spanning 2014-2024. The grand jury indictment, returned November 8, 2024, alleges the defendant falsified payroll information to avoid paying accurate workers' compensation premiums on Austin construction projects.

WNA Novolex Facility Earns Lone Star Safety Award for Workplace Safety

The Texas Department of Insurance, Division of Workers' Compensation (DWC) recognized WNA, part of The Novolex organization, with the Lone Star Safety Award on November 3, 2025. The award honors the facility's 123 employees who manufacture plastic stadium cups for demonstrating outstanding dedication to workplace safety and health. WNA/Novolex also received the OSHA Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP) Award in August 2025.

Trinity Couriers Inc. Pays $800,000 in Workers' Compensation Fraud

Trinity Couriers Inc. pled guilty to workers' compensation fraud and agreed to pay $800,000 in restitution to Texas Mutual Insurance Company. DWC investigators confirmed the company underreported payroll between 2016 and 2018 and failed to disclose related businesses under common ownership to their insurer.

Pond & Company Earns Lone Star Safety Award Renewal for Baytown Facility

The Texas Department of Insurance, Division of Workers' Compensation (DWC) recognized Pond & Company with a Lone Star Safety Award renewal for workplace safety excellence at its Baytown facility. The engineering, architecture, and consulting firm employs 30 workers at the site and has earned this recognition for the third time, having previously received awards for its Pasadena location in 2018 and 2022. The Lone Star Safety Program honors Texas employers maintaining injury rates below the national average with effective ongoing safety programs.

Laminate Technologies Inc. in Waco Earns Lone Star Safety Award

The Texas Department of Insurance, Division of Workers' Compensation (DWC) awarded Laminate Technologies Inc. in Waco the Lone Star Safety Award for exceptional dedication to protecting employees through a strong safety program. The 13-employee facility manufactures laminated cabinets. The award recognizes Texas employers that achieve exemplary workplace safety performance, maintain low injury rates, have no recent work-related fatalities, and demonstrate sustained commitment to continuous safety improvement.