Southern District of Texas
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 50-year-old Brownsville man has pleaded guilty to health care fraud in relation to his work at an area mental health clinic, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
In July 2021, the Texas Medical Board deemed Fernando Mendez a “continuing threat to public welfare” and suspended his license as a physician assistant.
However, he continued to practice medicine at CCI Therapy Counseling Centers International P.C. (CCI), which has locations in Harlingen and Brownsville, following the suspension.
Mendez further admitted he manufactured medical records to make it appear a different medical provider had seen CCI patients when he was the one who had actually done so.
U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. accepted the plea and will impose sentencing Oct. 2. At that time, Mendez faces up to 10 years in federal prison and possible $250,000 maximum fine.
Mendez was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing.
The FBI, Department of Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General (OIG), Texas Health and Human Services, Texas Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and Department of Homeland Security-OIG conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Swartz is prosecuting the case.
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 50-year-old Brownsville man has pleaded guilty to health care fraud in relation to his work at an area mental health clinic, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
In July 2021, the Texas Medical Board deemed Fernando Mendez a “continuing threat to public welfare” and suspended his license as a physician assistant.
However, he continued to practice medicine at CCI Therapy Counseling Centers International P.C. (CCI), which has locations in Harlingen and Brownsville, following the suspension.
Mendez further admitted he manufactured medical records to make it appear a different medical provider had seen CCI patients when he was the one who had actually done so.
U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. accepted the plea and will impose sentencing Oct. 2. At that time, Mendez faces up to 10 years in federal prison and possible $250,000 maximum fine.
Mendez was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing.
The FBI, Department of Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General (OIG), Texas Health and Human Services, Texas Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and Department of Homeland Security-OIG conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Swartz is prosecuting the case.
17 comments:
** ATTENTION BISD TEACHERS AND STAFF **
Don't forget Lil Eddie voted AGAINST well deserved raises for BISD employees. Let's return the favor and vote AGAINST Lil Eddie in March.
Check out who investigates these Frauds, The Dept. of Health and human Services, Texas atty. general's office and the Dept. of Homeland Security all of the leaders supposedly are either impeached or getting ready to be Impeached. Ken Paxton was just Impeached, Alejandro Mayorka is about to be Impeached. Also, check our so-called Cameron County judge Eddie Trevino and our dementia District atty. Luis Seanz and his trademark mustache is almost causing him to trip over it. Now the question is what about the Dist. Judge Fernando Rodriguez is he HONEST? This is my opinion
Teachers need a pay raise they are the most underpaid profession in the whole world and the most important. FACT
GIVE THEM A PAY RAISE OR VOTE EVERYBODY OUT DO IT!!!!!
Couple questions: 1. Wasn’t his employer aware of his suspension? In a medical setting all licenses and certifications are required/checked by HR.?? 2. As a PA, dont these guys work under the license of the physician and doesn’t the physician have to sign off on all the PA orders?? Having asked these questions, is the facility/physician at fault in any of this??? How many other medical clinics /facilities are out there operating in a similar manner?? Nowadays, many Drs offices have PA’s that practically run the show with the actual physician being MIA . The health and well-being of the patients are at risk when dealing with these dangerous issues.
Seven years it took me to finally know my doctor in those seven year all I saw was a PA. Increditable.
do the math:
doctors see a patient every 15 minutes and charge abt 350 to 400 dollars each.
there are four 15 minutes in every hour so that's 4 time 400 equals 1600
times 8 hours in a day equals 12,800 dollars A DAY!!!
time 5 days equals 64,000 A WEEK
times 4 weeks equals $256.000.00 a month mas o menos yikes mucho dineroooo
Y EL PA GETS THE 6000 DOLLARS A MONTH
THAT'S OVER 3 MILLION A YEAR, AND THEY RENT ALL THE EQUIPMENT AND OWN THE PROPERTY. HAVE ONE NURSE AND ONE CLERK AND ONE JANITOR AND PLUS A PERCENTAGES OF ALL MEDICATION THEY PRESCRIBE, ABOUT 15% MAYBE MORE...
CHANNEL 5 MADE A SURVEY OF HOW MUCH A DOCTOR MAKES ON PERCENTAGES OF PRESCRIPTION DRUGS AND THE WINNER WAS A DOCTOR HERE THAT MADE OVER 80k A MONTH!!!
NOWONDER
JUST DRIVE BY OWENS RD THE DOCTOR'S luxury Rd. ON SOUTHMOST AND SEE THE PALACES THERE. ALL OWNED BY DOCTORS. YOUR MONEY AT WORK. AND THE EDUCATION IS FREE of course.
LET HIM CONTINUE TO WORK, IN PRISON.
JUST MAYBE, HIS BAD WORK ETHICS CAN BETTER THE OTHER PRISONERS.
its tiny eddie, little refers to something else.
LEO was one of your commentators that informed about Elia Cornejo Lopez that pardoned a sentence to a manager of a health care facility that stole money from elderly people.
Where is LEO?
The manager said he was guilty. But Cornejo Lopez said OK. He is not going to jail.
Let us see if District Judge Fernando Rodriguez changes his mind and excuses this guy Mendez.
Where is Elia Cornejo Lopez?
Where is the guilty manager?
This is scary shit. The doctors who supervise should be held accountable.
To top it off this selfish piece of shit was working with mental health patients. Brings crazy to a new more exposed level.
So the poor always get screwed and only here. The rich and famous have it made here, nobody messes with them not even the cops.
Well, you have to admit a lot of the patient encounters can in fact be handled by a non-doctor P.A. not all, but many. Why make a patient wait even longer to see a doctor than they already do for a P.A.?
6:25 you have a good point cause even hospital ERs have PA s assisting ER doctors with the heavy load of patients. But the key word here is assisting not practically taking over the whole practice. And remember the patient is being charged at the doctors rate$$$ not a PA rate. So the doctor is getting rich , while using PAs at his practice (and paying them peanuts compared to what he’s making). Another point, while im sure there’s some competent PA s out there, im sure there’s some that just don’t make the cut. So its like taking your car into the shop and having the assistant working on it instead of the mechanic. Could be dangerous, so imagine that concept when it deals with human beings. So buyers(in this case patients) BEWARE , it may be safe to see your PA at your drs office once in a while but not all the time!!! C’mon docs don’t be so complacent and indifferent with your patient’s YOU’RE STILL MAKING A SHITLOAD OF MONEY $$$$
Teachers need to produce before getting anymore raises. They get compensated fairly well considering they only work 7 to 8 months out of the year.
I saw that post that teachers only got a .67 cent an hour raise. I say some teachers should start cutting yards as a side hustle. Make arrangements for some of your customers to be fellow teachers and that way the money stays in the profession.
For those that feel that teachers don't earn their pay: "yeah, yeah it is your opinion and like your asshole you are entitled to it." Thank you to those who make the decisions and understand that teachers don't earn enough.
what can a teacher produce? WHAT, WHAT, WHAT? Can they cook? maybe they can paint or clean something maybe they can go fishing, can they play ball? baseball soccer ball football? what?
July 2, 2023 at 1:01 PM
You have an idea. I have met engineers that know carpentry. I have known teachers that know how to cook. I met a nurse that has a taco stand.
I have met a lady that knows how to make dresses, cut hair, bake cakes, etc
I have met a man that knows how to plant and grow: corn, watermelons, green peppers, etc
The power is in the skills we know.
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