A Texas rheumatologist who falsely diagnosed healthy patients to bankroll a life of luxury—including private jets and exotic sports cars—has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for orchestrating a $118 million healthcare fraud scheme.
Dr. Jorge Zamora-Quezada, 68, deliberately misdiagnosed patients with rheumatoid arthritis—a chronic, incurable disease—to extract millions from insurance companies. Operating out of his Mission, Texas clinic, he exploited both patients and employees, according to the Department of Justice.
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The disgraced doctor manipulated patients into believing they had serious illnesses, charging them for expensive and unnecessary treatments like infusions, x-rays, MRIs, and injections. Many of these included toxic medications with potentially deadly side effects.
Zamora-Quezada falsified patient records to secure reimbursements from Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE, and Blue Cross Blue Shield, swindling $28 million from these programs.
Over a 25-day trial, fellow doctors testified about discovering the truth after examining hundreds of his former patients. One rheumatologist said, “For most [patients], it was obvious that they did not have rheumatoid arthritis.”
The dangerous medications he prescribed left many patients with severe side effects—strokes, jawbone necrosis, liver damage, and debilitating pain that impacted daily life.
One patient told the court, “Constantly being in bed and being unable to get up from bed alone, and being pumped with medication, I didn’t feel like my life had any meaning.” Another, a mother, said her child was treated like a “lab rat.”
Zamora-Quezada hired foreign staffers on J-1 visas, knowing they wouldn’t challenge his authority for fear of losing their jobs and facing deportation. He created a workplace culture built on fear, referring to himself as “eminencia” (eminence).
He also used his employees in fabricated ultrasound exams to cover up missing patient records in case of audits. Thousands of files were stored in a rodent-infested shed, many covered in feces and urine. If questioned about missing documents, he ordered staff to “make files appear.”
With the money he stole, Zamora-Quezada amassed a real estate empire of 13 properties across the U.S. and Mexico, bought a two-engine private jet, and a Maserati GranTurismo.
“Dr. Zamora-Quezada funded his luxurious lifestyle for two decades by traumatizing his patients, abusing his employees, lying to insurers, and stealing taxpayer money,” said Matthew R. Galeotti of the DOJ’s Criminal Division. “His depraved conduct represents a profound betrayal of trust toward vulnerable patients.”
He was convicted of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud, multiple counts of healthcare fraud, and conspiracy to obstruct justice. In addition to his prison sentence, he must forfeit over $28 million, his real estate holdings, private jet, and luxury car.
“Today’s sentence is not just a punishment—it’s a warning,” Galeotti added. “Medical professionals who harm Americans for personal enrichment will be aggressively pursued and held accountable.”
