Columbia Urgent Care Owner Facing 38 Federal Counts for Medicare Fraud and Illicit Prescription Activity

Dr. Jonathan Wayne Morris faces 38 federal counts for Medicare fraud and allegedly trading prescriptions for sexual favors at his Columbia clinic.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 23, 2026, 11:18 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Missouri

Federal Indictment Targets Missouri Clinic Operations

A federal grand jury in St. Louis has returned a 38 count indictment against Dr. Jonathan Wayne Morris, the owner of Columbia Urgent Care. Arrested this past Wednesday, the 46 year old physician faces 15 counts of illegal prescribing of controlled substances and 23 counts of health care fraud. The Department of Justice alleges that between 2019 and 2025, Morris orchestrated a systemic effort to defraud federal benefit programs while operating his facility in a manner that investigators described as a free-for-all for narcotics.

Misuse of Assistant Physicians and Administrative Fraud

The core of the fraud allegations centers on the improper utilization of assistant physicians, or APs. These individuals are medical school graduates who have not yet entered residency and require direct supervision by a licensed doctor. According to the indictment, Morris caused Medicare and Medicaid to be billed as if he had personally provided services that were actually performed by these trainees. Rather than providing the required oversight, Morris allegedly allowed APs to train each other while he left the clinic for international travel or to work at a separate facility in St. Louis.

Prescriptions Traded for Sexual Relations and Cash

Beyond financial fraud, the indictment details a disturbing pattern of professional misconduct involving controlled substances. Federal prosecutors accuse Dr. Morris of issuing prescriptions outside the usual course of professional practice for legitimate medical purposes. The documents allege he provided drugs to personal associates and individuals with whom he had sexual relationships. In some instances, Morris is accused of accepting cash for these prescriptions or prescribing drugs to individuals on whom he had made both welcomed and unwelcomed sexual advances.