DEA, FBI raid West Side family medicine clinic

Incoming patients read a handwritten sign that says "Office Closed due to Emergency!!" on the front door of the family medicine office of Javier C. Bocanegra, M.D. at 1616 Callaghan Rd during and FBI investigation on Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2016. MARVIN PFEIFFER/ mpfeiffer@express-news.net less Incoming patients read a handwritten sign that says "Office Closed due to Emergency!!" on the front door of the family medicine office of Javier C. Bocanegra, M.D. at 1616 Callaghan Rd during and FBI ... more Photo: Marvin Pfeiffer, San Antonio Express-News Photo: Marvin Pfeiffer, San Antonio Express-News Image 1 of / 15 Caption Close DEA, FBI raid West Side family medicine clinic 1 / 15 Back to Gallery

SAN ANTONIO — Federal agents raided a West Side medical clinic Tuesday, taking boxes of documents and files as part of a healthcare fraud investigation.

The FBI, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and U.S. Attorney’s Office, the lead agencies in the matter, would not say what the officers were looking for at the Community Family Medicine clinic in the 1600 block of Callaghan Road.

But sources confirmed agents were seeking evidence to support allegations that include overbilling of government-subsidized insurance programs and prescription fraud.

“We are conducting a law enforcement activity, and I can’t relate any further information at this time,” said Wendell Campbell, a spokesman for the DEA’s Houston office, which covers a region that includes San Antonio.

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Michelle Lee, spokeswoman for the FBI in San Antonio, issued a similar statement.

The lead doctor at the clinic is Javier Bocanegra, whose staff includes at least three physician assistants. Patients were turned away Tuesday by a sign on the door saying that the clinic was closed. Calls were routed to an answering service. Many expressed shock at the raid, and some even cried, noting Bocanegra had been their longtime doctor and describing him as above-board.

“My mom and dad have been with Dr. Bocanegra the past 15 to 20 years,” said Sandra Demaree, who was supposed to have a late-morning appointment, cupping her mouth in shock. “What could have happened?”

Bocanegra’s brother, Pedro Puentes, was also turned away by federal agents when he tried to learn what was going on at the clinic.

“My brother is a good doctor,” Puentes said. “He’s by the book.”

Asked if agents had mentioned anything about over-billing or fraud, Puentes said no, and added: “He’s against that, too. He noticed, recently, when my mom was at the hospital, that they were ordering extra tests she didn’t need.”

The DEA and FBI said they were being assisted in their investigation by the federal Office of Personnel Management’s Office of Inspector General, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, the Air Force’s Office of Special Investigations, the Texas Department of Public Safety and Texas Attorney General’s Office Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.

The raid comes five months after a huge operation that U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch called “the largest national Medicare fraud takedown in history.”

gcontreras@express-news.net

Twitter: @gmaninfedland

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