'Depraved' Texas doctor convicted of $325M healthcare fraud bought jet, luxury properties
A Texas doctor was sentenced to 10 years in prison Wednesday for his nearly 20-year involvement in healthcare fraud.
Jorge Zamora-Quezada, 68, is a rheumatologist who was licensed to practice medicine in Texas, Arizona and Massachusetts prior to having those licenses revoked in each state. He accumulated over $118 million in false claims and over $28 million in payments by insurers by "falsely diagnosing patients with chronic illnesses to bill for tests and treatments that the patients did not need," according to the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Public Affairs.
The office also says Zamora-Quezada of Mission attempted to cover up the fraud and "falsified patient records to support the false diagnoses after receiving a federal grand jury subpoena." The scheme stretched on for over 18 years and involved a total of $325 million, according to a DOJ press release on the 2020 guilty verdict.
At the conclusion of a 25-day trial, Zamora-Quezada was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud, seven counts of healthcare fraud, and one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice.
Along with the 10-year prison term, the DOJ ordered the doctor to pay $28,245,454 in damages, which include 13 real estate properties throughout the U.S. and Mexico, a jet, and a Maserati GranTurismo.
Evidence presented at trial suggests Zamora-Quezada falsely diagnosed patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and defrauded Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE and Blue Cross Blue Shield by subjecting the patients to unnecessary treatments.
"After falsely diagnosing his patients, Zamora-Quezada administered unnecessary treatments and ordered unnecessary testing on them, including a variety of injections, infusions, x-rays, MRIs, and other procedures — all with potentially harmful and even deadly side effects," a DOJ press release states.
A DOJ official, whose identity is unknown, told Fox News about these severe effects that patients endured as a result of unnecessary treatment.
"There was testimony about truly debilitating side effects from the medications, things like strokes, necrosis of the jawbone, really the jawbone melting away, hair loss, liver damage," the official said.
The DOJ's trial summary suggests Zamora-Quezada implicated his employees.
"Testimony at trial established that Zamora-Quezada told employees to 'aparecer' the missing records — 'to make them appear,'" the press release states. "Former employees also recounted being sent to a dilapidated barn to attempt to retrieve records. There, files were saturated with feces and urine, rodents, and termites that infested not only the records but also the structure."
During the trial, prosecutors revealed startling data: Out of the nearly 100,000 Medicare patients Zamora-Quezada saw, he diagnosed 72.9% with rheumatoid arthritis. Meanwhile, seven other Texas rheumatologists collectively diagnosed 13% of patients with RA.
Matthew R. Galeotti, head of the Justice Department's Criminal Division, expressed hope that the case would serve as an example for corrupt healthcare professionals.
"Dr. Zamora-Quezada funded his luxurious lifestyle for two decades by traumatizing his patients, abusing his employees, lying to insurers, and stealing taxpayer money," Galeotti said. "His depraved conduct represents a profound betrayal of trust toward vulnerable patients who depend on care and integrity from their doctors. Today's sentence is not just a punishment — it's a warning. Medical professionals who harm Americans for personal enrichment will be aggressively pursued and held accountable to protect our citizens and the public fisc."
Special Agent in Charge Jason E. Meadows of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) said the doctor's actions "abused both patient trust and public resources."
"It is imperative to investigate and address this form of fraud — not only to protect vulnerable individuals from harm but to uphold the integrity of the federal health care system and safeguard the use of public funds," Meadows added.
Special Agent in Charge Aaron Tapp of the FBI's San Antonio Field Office emphasized the consequences that patients and their loved ones had to face as a result of Zamora-Quezada's fraud.
"This case was not only a concern to us because of the financial loss — the physical and emotional harm suffered by the patients and their families was alarming and profound," Tapp said. "We hope this significant sentence will help bring closure to the many victims in this case."
Several state and federal agencies were involved in the investigation, including the FBI, HHS-OIG, Texas HHS-OIG, Texas Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and Defense Criminal Investigative Service.
— Fox News contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas doctor convicted of massive fraud for false diagnoses, treatment
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