Former NMSP officer pleads guilty to involvement in substance abuse recovery program scheme

ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico (KVIA) -- A New Mexico judge accepted a plea agreement for former New Mexico State Police Officer Morgan Ortiz this morning. Ortiz pleaded guilty along with his co-defendant, Dr. Keith Levitt, to Medicaid Fraud over $20,000 and Conspiracy to Commit Identity Theft, among other charges. Federal prosecutors say that Levitt recently entered a nearly identical agreement.

Ortiz's plea agreement includes two counts of Medicaid Fraud over $20,000, Conspiracy to Commit Theft of Identity, and Practicing Medicine Without a License.

Ortiz and Levitt face up to three years in prison and have been ordered to pay more than $1.5 million in restitution.

A Grand Jury indicted Ortiz and Levitt in November 2024. The New Mexico Department of Justice (NMDOJ) investigated the case. Federal prosecutors say the investigation revealed a substance abuse recovery program scheme involving Medicaid Fraud, Identity Theft, Document Falsification and Unauthorized Medical Practice. Prosecutors say Ortiz and Levitt operated a now-closed substance recovery program that billed Medicaid hundreds of thousands of dollars in fraudulent claims.

“The defendants in this case exploited the vulnerable by preying on individuals struggling with substance abuse disorders, all for their own financial gain.” said New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez. “This agreement ensures justice for the victims who were taken advantage of while ensuring that the defendants return the massive sums of money that they obtained through illegal and predatory practices. Let this be a lesson that anyone attempting to take advantage of our healthcare system will be investigated and prosecuted by my office.”