Doctor Who wrongly diagnosed patients in fraud program sentenced to ten years in prison

A doctor in Texas, who was found guilty of fraud for false diagnostic patients with illnesses they did not have, has been sentenced to ten years in federal imprisonment.

According to a press release from US Justice Office for Public QuestionsDr. Jorge Zamora-Quezada was sentenced 21 to ten years in prison and three years of monitoring release for his role in a healthcare fraud that included more than $ 118 million in false claims and payment of more than $ 28 million of insurance companies.

During Zamora-Quezada’s Texas trial, prosecutors said he falsely diagnosed his patients with illnesses and invoiced his insurance companies for procedures and tests that they did not need for his own financial gain.

Following his verdict, Zamora-quezada, 68, is also forced to lose about $ 28 million, including 13 real estate properties, a jet and a Maserati Granturismo sports car.

“Zamora-Quezada falsely diagnosed their patients with rheumatoid arthritis and administered toxic medicines to fraud Medicare, Medicaid, Tricare and Blue Cross Blue Shield,” pronounced the press release. “The fraudulent diagnoses caused the defendant’s patients to believe that they had a lifelong, incurable condition that required regular treatment in his office.”

“After incorrectly diagnosed their patients, managed Zamora-Quezada unnecessary treatments and ordered unnecessary tests on them, including a variety of injections, infusions, X-rays, MRI and other procedures-all with potentially harmful and even deadly side effects. “To get payment for these expensive services, Zamora-Quezada made medical records and lied about the patient’s permit for insurance companies.”

According to DOJ, Zamora-Quezada was a rheumatologist who was licensed to practice medicine in Texas, Arizona and Massachusetts. All his medical licenses have since been revoked.

Prosecutors also claimed that Zamora-Quezada tried to cover the fraud and “counterfeit patient register to support the false diagnoses after getting a federal jury mood.” His system lasted for almost 20 years and involved about $ 325 million, doj Earlier.

Zamora-Quezada was found guilty on a count of conspiracy to commit medical fraud, seven counts of fraud with health care and a count of conspiracy to prevent justice in 2020.

Local withdrawal Kragv Reported that his judgment was delayed several times because prosecutors and Zamora-Quezada’s defense lawyers could not agree on a number of victims in the system or agreed on how much money was stolen.

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Zamora-Quezada was also accused of creating a toxic environment for his clinic’s employees-of which many were on work visas for living in the USA to get angry if they did not fulfill a quota for procedures or said he would fire them and try to recall their visa if they spoke against him.

“Testimony at the trial found that Zamora-ketzada told employees to ‘to emerge ‘ They lacked the records – “to make them show up,” DOJ said. “Former employees also told that to be sent to a dilapidated barn to try to pick up items. There, files were saturated with stools and urine, rodents and termites that not only infected items but also the structure.”

According to DOJ, other rheumatologists in the Texas Rio Grande Valley region during the Zamora-Quezada 2020 study testified that they saw hundreds of patients he was misconnected with rheumatoid arthritis. A doctor even testified that it would be “obvious” to “most” doctors that these patients did not have the autoimmune condition.

Prosecutors also claimed that the false diagnoses and medicines that Zamora-Quezada prescribed patients caused “weakening” side effects, including stroke, necrosis (or cell and tissue death) of the jawbone, hair loss, liver damage and severe pain.

“To constantly lie in bed and not be able to stand up from the bed alone, and to be pumped with medication, I did not feel that my life had any meaning,” testified a patient during the trial, according to DOJ.

Another patient’s mother testified that she felt her child served as a “labbråtta”, and other patients testified that they “lived a life in an older person’s body.”

“Dr. Zamora-Quezada funded its luxury lifestyle for two decades by traumatizing their patients, abusing their employees, lying for insurance companies and stealing taxpayers’ money,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, the head of DOJ’s criminal department, in the press release.

“His condemned behavior represents a deep store of trust in vulnerable patients who depend on care and integrity from their doctor,” added Galeotti.