CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Two individuals involved in a chain of physical therapy clinics across Texas have been charged with defrauding a compensation program for federal workers, according to a press release from the United States Attorney's Office Southern District of Texas.
46-year-old Ricardo Cano of McAllen and 56 -year-old Rosita Cano Meeks of Edinburgh were taken into custody on Thursday.
They were indicted in 18 counts of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and 10 counts of health care fraud. Cano was charged individually with seven counts of money laundering, officials state.
From 2014 to 2019, the physical therapy clinics were allegedly operating under the name Texas Federal Wellness Center and billed more than $80 million to the Department of Labor Office of Worker's Compensation Program, for physical therapy services given to injured federal employees.
The press release stated that:
"Cano and Meeks allegedly caused the clinics to submit inflated claims for therapy, fictional medical visits, excessive therapy and fraudulent durable medical equipment. The charges allege Cano and Meeks directed clinic employees to falsify patient checkout times on medical records to conceal the inflated therapy claims. Meeks was in charge of, and oversaw, the fraudulent billing, according to the indictment.
As part of the scheme, Cano allegedly coordinated with that physician to obstruct a Texas Medical Board inquiry into a complaint about Cano’s role in operating the clinics and submitting false corporate records. The indictment also alleges Cano transferred approximately $43 million from the Texas Federal Wellness Center clinics to various bank accounts in Cano’s name or in the name of clinics Cano controlled."
According to the indictment, Cano was a physicians assistant, not a physician. He had an arrangement with a physician to make it look like a licensed doctor oversaw, managed and controlled the clinics, as required by Texas law. The charges alleged that Cano is the true owner of the enterprise which he managed and controlled.
Cano and Meeks each face up to 10 years in prison if they are convicted for the charges of health care fraud and conspiracy to commit health care fraud. Cano also faces up to 10 years for each of the seven counts of money laundering.
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