A Houston physician has been charged with conspiracy, wire fraud, and money laundering in an alleged scheme that billed a federal COVID-19 program about $30 million for office visits prosecutors say never took place. Dr. Joseph A. Montes, 66, made his first court appearance Oct. 6, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Texas.
The 12-count indictment, returned by a federal grand jury Sept. 30 and unsealed after his arrest, alleges the government paid about $20 million of those claims between 2020 and 2022. The charges are allegations, and Montes is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
