LAREDO, TX (KGNS) – A medical service provider in San Antonio and Laredo have two of their leaders arrested. Federal authorities are charging them with health care fraud.
Through a release sent out on Friday by the Department of Justice, the U.S. Attorney’s Office says 46-year-old Christopher Felix Montoya and 40-year-old Nancy Almaguer were arrested for allegedly taking part in a bribery and kickback scheme.
According to an indictment by a federal grand jury in San Antonio, Montoya, the owner of TPC Family Medicine and Urgent Care clinics in San Antonio and Laredo- along with Almaguer, the company’s Chief Operating Officer- were arrested for incidents that occurred from September 2018 to June 2019.
Montoya and Almaguer received bribes and kickbacks for sending patient nasal swabs to a specific lab to be tested. The lab would be reimbursed from Medicare and other insurance programs. The lab would then use a 3rd party to pay the kickbacks to Montoya and Almaguer.
Both are facing one count of conspiracy to pay and receive health care kickbacks and three counts of soliciting and receiving illegal health care kickbacks.
Each count calls for up to five years in federal prison if convicted.
A U.S. Magistrate Judge has set bonds for Montoya and Almaguer at $50,000.
The name and location of the clinics in Laredo have not been released as of yet.
Source: Local medical service providers arrested for alleged health care fraud / KGNS.TV
Let us all be reminded that health care fraud is a crime. We lose a lot of money due to health care fraud and abuse when we can use that money to benefit those are are entitled to the benefit and are really in need.