Owner and COO of area clinic arrested in fraud, kickback scheme, DOJ says

SAN ANTONIO – The owner and chief operating officer of TPC Family Medicine and Urgent Care Clinic in San Antonio and Laredo were arrested Thursday for their alleged role in a health care fraud, bribery and kickback scheme, officials with the Department of Justice said.

An indictment alleges that from September 2018 to June 2019, Christopher Felix Montoya, 46, the owner and operator of the clinic, and Nancy Almaguer, 40, the COO, schemed to receive kickbacks and bribes in exchange for sending patient nasal swabs to a specific lab for testing, according to the DOJ.

Officials said the lab would perform testing, receive reimbursements from Medicare and other insurance and, through a third party, would kickback to Montoya and Almaguer.

The two have both been charged with 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, should either be convicted.

Montoya and Almaguer made their first appearance in court Friday, where a judge set each of their bail at $50,000.


About the Author:

Dawn Jorgenson, Graham Media Group Branded Content Managing Editor, began working with the group in April 2013. She graduated from Texas State University with a degree in electronic media.