A 49-year-old Brownsville man was arrested this past weekend by federal authorities on charges he was involved in a scheme to defraud Medicaid while working with a suspended license.
He will remain in federal custody until his next scheduled court appearance.
Fernando Mendez, an physician assistant, appeared Tuesday morning before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ronald G. Morgan in Brownsville. Morgan ordered Mendez be held without bond.
Mendez is named in a 11-count indictment that was unsealed Monday. He worked as a physician assistant a CCI Therapy Counseling Centers.
According to the federal indictment, on July 20, 2021, the Texas Medical Board allegedly ordered the immediate suspension of Mendez’s physician assistant license, deeming him to be a “continuing threat to public welfare.” He was then prohibited from practicing medicine, according to the charges, the FBI said in a press release.
His license was suspended because he had sex with a patient that was under his care, issued prescriptions to people he had close personal relationships with and had a history of providing untruthful answers to the TMB, the indictment states.
Although his license had been suspended, the indictment states, Mendez is alleged to have continued to evaluate and treat patients at mental health clinics in Brownsville, Harlingen and Pharr and billed Medicaid for services he rendered during his suspension.
According to the press release, the indictment further alleges Mendez attempted to conceal his continued practice of medicine by using identities of other physicians and medical personnel. Specifically, authorities allege Mendez created medical records under the identities of other physicians while they were traveling outside of the United States. The charges also allege Mendez submitted false statements to the Texas Medical Board in an effort to conceal his improper practice of medicine.
Mendez is charged with seven counts of health care fraud for which he faces up to 10 years in federal prison.
If convicted of any of the four aggravated identity theft charges, he faces another two years which must be served consecutively to any other prison term imposed. All counts also carry as possible fine of up to $250,000.
Mendez’s next court appearance is scheduled Sept. 14 before Morgan.
The FBI, Department of Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General, Texas Health and Human Services and Texas Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, and Department of Homeland Security-Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Swartz is prosecuting the case.
