BREAKING: Undercover agents raid EPOCH clinic in Las Cruces

ABC-7’s New Mexico Mobile Newsroom has learned undercover agents raided a Las Cruces health clinic Friday.

EPOCH Integrated Health Services has recently been plagued by customer complaints and allegations of unpaid employees.

“I can confirm the office of the attorney general is at that location,” said James Hallinan, a spokesman with the attorney general’s office told ABC-7. “We are not there to shut the location down.”

A sign hanging on the front door of its Las Cruces office apologizes to customers, stating the clinic is closed.

Federal agents were seen swarming the office and blocking the parking lot around Noon.

Hallinan further stated, “The office of the attorney general takes all appropriate action to investigate every complaint and is committed to using all available resources to proactively thwart out Medicaid fraud.”

ABC-7 has learned the investigation began in Albuquerque and later spread to Rio Rancho and Las Cruces.

An ABC-7 crew saw several employees leaving the office as agents removed hard drives and boxes filled with documents.

KOAT – the ABC affiliate in Albuquerque – reports EPOCH was evicted from its previous location in Albuquerque before moving to Rio Rancho because the CEO was not paying rent.

KOAT also reports CEO Jana Smith had not been paying her employees. Smith told KOAT was because health insurance companies owed her money.

ABC-7 saw Smith speaking with investigators in Las Cruces Friday. ABC-7 also reached out to several employees leaving the clinic today and all remained tight lipped regarding the investigation.

“Some of our most vulnerable populations in New Mexico rely on Medicaid Funds in order to access essential medical care and services,” Hallinan said, “The Office of the Attorney General is committed to ensuring that every Medicaid dollar is preserved for this purpose.”