Missouri Doctor Dr. Jonathan Wayne Morris Arrested on Healthcare Fraud and Illegal Prescribing Charges
Summary
Dr. Jonathan Wayne Morris, 46, of Columbia, Missouri, owner of Columbia Urgent Care, was arrested on April 22, 2026 following an indictment returned April 8, 2026 in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri. He faces 15 counts of illegal prescribing of controlled substances and 23 counts of healthcare fraud. The indictment alleges that from May 1, 2019 through April 8, 2025, Morris caused Medicare and Medicaid to be billed for services allegedly provided by him when they were actually provided by unsupervised assistant physicians, who he allowed to train each other rather than providing required supervision.
“Rather than teaching the APs, Morris allowed the APs to train each other, the indictment says.”
Healthcare organizations employing assistant physicians or other supervised practitioners should verify that supervision, training, and billing practices comply with federal requirements. The specific allegation—that Morris allowed APs to train each other and billed for services as if he had personally provided them—describes conduct that federal prosecutors can pursue as healthcare fraud independent of the illegal prescribing counts.
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GovPing monitors US HHS OIG Enforcement for new healthcare & life sciences regulatory changes. Every update since tracking began is archived, classified, and available as free RSS or email alerts — 9 changes logged to date.
What changed
Dr. Jonathan Wayne Morris was arrested and indicted in federal court on 38 total counts comprising 15 counts of illegal prescribing of controlled substances and 23 counts of healthcare fraud. The indictment alleges a scheme spanning approximately six years where Morris billed Medicare and Medicaid as if he personally provided medical services when they were actually rendered by assistant physicians under his nominal supervision but whom he allowed to train each other unsupervised.
Healthcare providers operating with assistant physicians, nurse practitioners, or other supervised practitioners should review their supervision practices and billing procedures. The specific allegation that Morris left assistant physicians unsupervised while traveling and failed to provide required training highlights the compliance risks of non-compliant supervision arrangements in federally funded healthcare settings.
Archived snapshot
Apr 24, 2026GovPing captured this document from the original source. If the source has since changed or been removed, this is the text as it existed at that time.
Columbia, Missouri Doctor Arrested, Accused of Health Care Fraud, Illegally Prescribing Drugs
ST. LOUIS – A medical doctor and owner of an urgent care clinic in Columbia, Missouri was arrested Wednesday on an indictment that accuses him of defrauding Medicare and Medicaid and providing prescription drugs to friends, people suffering from substance use disorders and those with whom he had sexual relationships. Dr. Jonathan Wayne Morris, 46, was indicted in U.S. District Court in St. Louis on April 8, 2026, with 15 counts of illegal prescribing of controlled substances and 23 counts of health care fraud. Dr. Morris has owned Columbia Urgent Care since at least 2019. From at least May 1, 2019, through April 8, 2025, Dr. Morris caused Medicare and Medicaid to be billed for medical services as if they had been provided by him instead of the assistant physicians (APs) that he employs, the indictment says. APs are medical school graduates who have not entered a residency program and therefore require training and supervision by a fully licensed physician. Rather than teaching the APs, Morris allowed the APs to train each other, the indictment says. He left the APs unsupervised when he left the clinic for domestic and international travel, and to work at a different clinic in St. Louis, it says.
Action Details
- Date: April 22, 2026
- Agency: U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Missouri
- Enforcement Types:
- Criminal and Civil Actions
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