A Texas doctor who falsely diagnosed his healthy patients to finance his sumptuous lifestyle with private jets and luxury sports cars as part of a health care program of $ 118 million was sentenced to a decade behind bars.
Rheumatologist Jorge Zamora-Quezada has defrained patients and insurance companies by deliberately diagnosing people with rheumatoid arthritis despite their non-unit for life and incurable.
Zamora-Quezada, 68, organized the program of his mission office in Texas, with the help of staff members who were mistreated and threatened by his status, said the Ministry of Justice.
The disgrace health care provider led patients to believe that they suffered from chronic diseases and they would pay unnecessary and costly treatments and tests which included a variety of injections, infusions, X -rays, MRI and other procedures
The regimes included the administration of toxic drugs which had potentially harmful and even fatal side effects.
Zamora-Quezada also falsified medical records of his patients to obtain insurance funds from service providers by falsifying medical.
He has thrown $ 28 million from Medicare, Medicaid, Tricare and Blue Cross Blue Shield.
Other doctors of the Rio Grande Valley testified against Zamora-Quezada during the 25-day test, revealing surprising conclusions when they treated hundreds of patients, believing that they had Pr.
“For the most part (patients), it was obvious that they did not have rheumatoid arthritis,” said a rheumatologist.
The dangerous treatments prescribed by Zamora-Quezada have pushed patients to develop debilitating side effects, including cerebral vascular accidents, jaw necrosis, hair loss and liver damage.
Other victims have developed so serious pain that they are unable to perform simple and daily tasks.
“Being constantly in bed and being unable to get up from bed alone, and to be pumped with medication, I did not have the impression that my life had a meaning,” said a patient in court.
A mother compared her child to a laboratory rat with the amount of medication prescribed by Zamora-Quezada.
The corrupt caregiver used his position to hire foreign employees who needed employment to stay in the country on their J-1 visas and would not question his authority unless they are likely to be dismissed and expelled.
Note “Eminencia” – or Eminence, Zamora -Quezada has built an atmosphere of work of fear and authority.
Zamora-Quezada would use his employees as models for the ultrasounds he would include in the context of a missing patient file made if he was audited by an insurer.
Thousands of patient files have been stored in a separate hangar ravaged by rodents and termites – most documents covered with excrement and urine.
If he was asked about missing patient files, the doctor would order his employees to “appear” files.
Zamora-Quezada used the millions of people to build a large real estate portfolio with 13 separate properties in the United States and Mexico, bought a two-engine plane and a Marsatirismo Maserati.
“Dr. Zamora-Quezada financed his luxurious lifestyle for two decades by traumatizing his patients, abusing his employees, lying to insurers and stealing taxpayers’ money,” said the Criminal Division of Doj, Matthew R. Galeotti. “His depraved conduct represents a deep betrayal of confidence in vulnerable patients who depend on the care and integrity of their doctor.”
Zamora-Quezada was found guilty of a conspiracy leader in order to commit health care fraud, seven health care fraud chiefs and a conspiracy chief to hinder justice.
He was sentenced to 10 years in prison and ordered $ 28,2454,454, his real estate portfolio, Jet and Maserati.
“Today’s sentence is not only a punishment – it is a warning. Health professionals who harm Americans for personal enrichment will be prosecuted aggressively and held responsible for protecting our citizens and the public tax,” said Galeotti.