Charged with bribes and kickbacks in exchange for sending patient nasal swabs to a laboratory for testing………………..
Owner, COO of Texas urgent care clinics charged in bribery scheme
Ayla Ellison (Twitter) – Monday, December 23rd, 2019
The owner and COO of TPC Family Medicine and Urgent Care Clinics in San Antonio and Laredo, Texas, were arrested Dec. 19 and charged for their alleged roles in a bribery and kickback scheme, according to the Department of Justice.
Christopher Felix Montoya, the owner and operator of TPC, and Nancy Almaguer, TPC’s COO, were charged with one count of conspiracy to pay and receive healthcare kickbacks and three counts of soliciting and receiving illegal healthcare kickbacks.
Between September 2018, and June 2019, Mr. Montoya and Ms. Almaguer allegedly received bribes and kickbacks in exchange for sending patient nasal swabs to a laboratory for testing. After performing the testing and receiving reimbursement from Medicare and other payers, the lab, through a third party, would pay kickbacks to the defendants, according to the Justice Department.
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