By Adriana M. Chavez
A former El Paso police officer charged with tax fraud
in connection with a medical billing scheme is scheduled to appear in court
later this month.
Ricardo Huante, 54, is charged with corrupt
interference with Internal Revenue laws and 14 counts of structuring
transactions to evade reporting requirements and aiding and abetting. Huante faces
up to three years in federal prison if convicted of the first charge. Each
remaining charge carries a prison sentence of up to 10 years.
According to Huante's indictment, which was filed in
March, Huante operated a medical insurance billing company called H.M.J., also
known as H.M.D.J., beginning in 1995. The company performed billing services
for Hospital Torre Medica and other medical providers in Mexico by billing
insurance providers for services performed by doctors. The company received
checks from insurance providers to pay the doctors for the services the medical
billing company sought reimbursement for.
Huante opened a bank account in the U.S. in his name
and deposited insurance reimbursement funds he received from the insurance
providers, the indictment states. From 2004 to June 30, 2011, Huante deposited
more than $3 million.
According to the indictment, Huante reported in his
2005 tax return that the company had gross receipts of $15,211, but medical
insurance companies had reported to the IRS that they made payments of more
than $300,000 to Huante's company. The discrepancy triggered an investigation
by IRS officials.
The indictment states that in April 2007, Huante told
IRS officials in a letter that the discrepancy arouse because the tax forms
included the total amounts due to both the medical providers and to his
company, but that his commissions were five percent of the gross amounts
billed.
Federal prosecutors allege Huante's gross receipts
were "substantially greater" than the gross amounts he actually
received. Huante's indictment states that he also falsely reported on his tax
returns that a person identified only as "O.H." as the company's
owner.
Huante's wife, Ofelia Huante, has not been charged
with any wrongdoing.
Ricardo Huante's indictment also lists numerous
withdrawals from his bank account, most of them for about $2,500.
Federal prosecutors allege the transactions are
"part of a pattern of illegal activity involving more than $100,000 in a
twelve month period." The withdrawals are dated between March 2009 and
March 2010.
In March 2012, agents with the FBI and other federal
agencies raided the Huantes' East El Paso home. Ricardo Huante, who was an El
Paso police officer for 14 years, was placed on administrative leave but
resigned in July 2012, according to El Paso Times archives.
Ricardo Huante was arraigned in May. His next court
hearing is scheduled on July 30 before U.S. District Judge Philip Martinez. A
trial date has not been scheduled.
