For almost two decades, a US doctor falsely diagnosed patients with chronic illnesses they didn't have, gave them unnecessary, costly treatments and made money by filing false insurance claims. He minted over $28 million through this scheme to lead a luxurious life until it all came apart one day.
From 2000 to 2018, Dr Jorge Zamora-Quezada lied to patients, falsely diagnosing them with rheumatoid arthritis, giving them toxic medications and urging them to go for unnecessary tests like X-rays and MRIs to trick insurance companies such as Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE and Blue Cross Blue Shield, the US Department of Justice's Office of Public Affairs said.
The 68-year-old lied about his patients' conditions to the insurers, made fake medical records and filed over $118 million in fraudulent insurance claims, it said.
Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department's Criminal Division, said, "Dr Zamora-Quezada funded his luxurious lifestyle for two decades by traumatizing his patients, abusing his employees, lying to insurers, and stealing taxpayer money."
Dr Zamora-Quezada's false diagnosis and toxic medications have caused severe harm to his patients, including strokes, hair loss, liver damage, necrosis of the jawbone, and severe pain while performing simple tasks like cooking, driving and bathing.
One of his patients explained his situation, saying he was constantly in bed, unable to get up from bed alone, and was pumped with medication. "I didn't feel like my life had any meaning," the Justice Department quoted the patient as saying.
Some felt they were being used as lab rats, others claimed they were living the life of an elderly person.
Dr Zamora-Quezada, a licensed rheumatologist practitioner in Texas, Arizona, and Massachusetts, has now been arrested and sentenced to 10 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release.
After a 25-day trial in January 2020, he was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to conduct healthcare fraud, seven counts of healthcare fraud, and one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice. Since then, all of his medical licenses have been revoked.
During the trial, other doctors from Texas's Rio Grande Valley stated that they treated hundreds of patients he falsely told had rheumatoid arthritis.
He was also charged with creating a toxic work environment for his clinic's staff, many of whom were in the country on work visas. He allegedly threatened to fire them and try to cancel their visas if they spoke out against him, reported PEOPLE.
He has been asked to forfeit over $28 million worth of property, including 13 houses, a private jet, and a luxury Maserati car.
