Doctor, Who Falsely Diagnosed Patients in $118M Fraud Scheme to Fund His 'Luxurious Lifestyle,' Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison

A Texas doctor, who was recovered blameworthy of fraud for falsely diagnosing patients pinch diseases they did not have, has been sentenced to 10 years successful national prison.

According to a property merchandise from nan U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Public Affairs, Dr. Jorge Zamora-Quezada was sentenced connected May 21 to 10 years successful situation and 3 years of supervised merchandise for his domiciled successful a wellness attraction fraud strategy that progressive much than $118 cardinal successful mendacious claims and nan costs of much than $28 cardinal by insurers.

During Zamora-Quezada's Texas trial, prosecutors said he falsely diagnosed his patients pinch illnesses and billed their security companies for procedures and tests they did not request for his ain financial gain.

Following his sentencing, Zamora-Quezada, 68, is besides being forced to forfeit astir $28 million, including 13 existent property properties, a pitchy and a Maserati GranTurismo sports car.

"Zamora-Quezada falsely diagnosed his patients pinch rheumatoid arthritis and administered toxic medications successful bid to defraud Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE and Blue Cross Blue Shield," nan property merchandise stated. "The fraudulent diagnoses made nan defendant’s patients judge that they had a lifelong, incurable information that required regular curen astatine his offices."

"After falsely diagnosing his patients, Zamora-Quezada administered unnecessary treatments and ordered unnecessary testing connected them, including a assortment of injections, infusions, X-rays, MRIs and different procedures — each pinch perchance harmful and moreover deadly broadside effects," nan property merchandise continued. "To person costs for these costly services, Zamora-Quezada fabricated aesculapian records and lied astir nan patients’ information to insurers."

According to nan DOJ, Zamora-Quezada was a rheumatologist who was licensed to believe medicine successful Texas, Arizona and Massachusetts. All of his aesculapian licenses person since been revoked.

Prosecutors besides based on that Zamora-Quezada attempted to screen up nan fraud and "falsified diligent records to support nan mendacious diagnoses aft receiving a national expansive assemblage subpoena." His strategy lasted astir 20 years and progressive astir $325 million, the DOJ antecedently said.

Zamora-Quezada was recovered blameworthy connected 1 count of conspiracy to perpetrate wellness attraction fraud, 7 counts of wellness attraction fraud and 1 count of conspiracy to obstruct justness successful 2020.

Local outlet KRGV reported that his sentencing was delayed respective times because prosecutors and Zamora-Quezada's defense attorneys could not work together connected a number of victims successful nan strategy aliases work together connected nan magnitude of money that was stolen.

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Zamora-Quezada was besides accused of creating a toxic situation for his clinic's labor — galore of whom were connected activity visas to unrecorded successful nan U.S. — by getting angry if they did not meet a quota for procedures aliases saying that he would occurrence them and effort to revoke their visa if they said retired against him.

"Testimony astatine proceedings established that Zamora-Quezada told labor to 'aparecer' nan missing records — 'to make them appear,' " nan DOJ said. "Former labor besides recounted being sent to a dilapidated barn to effort to retrieve records. There, files were saturated pinch feces and urine, rodents and termites that infested not only nan records but besides nan structure."

According to nan DOJ, different rheumatologists successful Texas' Rio Grande Valley region testified during Zamora-Quezada's 2020 proceedings that they saw hundreds of patients whom he had falsely diagnosed pinch rheumatoid arthritis. One expert moreover testified that it would beryllium "obvious" to "most" doctors that these patients did not person nan autoimmune condition.

Prosecutors besides based on that nan mendacious diagnoses and medications that Zamora-Quezada prescribed to patients caused "debilitating" broadside effects, including strokes, necrosis (or compartment and insubstantial death) of nan jawbone, hairsbreadth loss, liver harm and terrible pain.

"Constantly being successful furniture and being incapable to get up from furniture alone, and being pumped pinch medication, I didn’t consciousness for illustration my life had immoderate meaning," 1 diligent testified during nan trial, per nan DOJ.

Another patient's mother testified that she felt for illustration her kid served arsenic a "lab rat," and different patients testified that they were "living a life successful nan assemblage of an aged person."

"Dr. Zamora-Quezada funded his luxurious manner for 2 decades by traumatizing his patients, abusing his employees, lying to insurers and stealing payer money,” Matthew R. Galeotti, nan caput of nan DOJ's criminal division, said successful nan property release.

"His depraved behaviour represents a profound betrayal of spot toward susceptible patients who dangle connected attraction and integrity from their doctor," Galeotti added.