Tara Rios Ybarra District 43 State Representative and dentist Tara Rios Ybarra has been indicted for allegedly illegally refering Medicaid beneficiaries to oral surgeon Dr. Gary Morgan Schwarz in exchange for remuneration, United States Attorney José Angel Moreno and Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott announced.

Also indicted were Dr. Diana Woo Paparelli, 57, and Dr. Colbert J. Glenn, 49, of McAllen.

The 22-count indictment had been under seal since June 15, but was unsealed following the arrest of Schwarz, along with two of his office employees.

Rios Ybarra, who has her private dental practice in Brownsville, surrendered herself to U.S. Marshals Wednesday morning at the U.S. Courthouse in Brownsville.

Rios Ybarra appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Felix Recio and was released on a $100,000 unsecured bond.

Rios Ybarra is charged in counts 17 through 19 of the 22-count indictment with allegedly illegally referring Medicaid beneficiaries to Schwarz in exchange for 15 percent of the total payment made by Medicaid to Schwarz for all referred beneficiaries.

Rios Ybarra faces a maximum punishment of up to five years in prison and a fine not to exceed $25,000 for each offense upon conviction.

The investigation leading to the charges in this case was conducted by the FBI and the Texas Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. Assistant United States Attorney Carolyn Ferko is prosecuting the case.

Rios Ybarra was defeated in the March primary by JM Lozano of Kingsville. He is unopposed in the November general election and will be sworn into office in January 2011.

Rios Ybarra will continue in office through Dec. 31 of this year.

In addition to Kleberg and Kenedy Counties, she represents Jim Hogg and Brooks Counties, and a portion of Cameron County.