Dr. Jorge Zamora-Quezada, a rheumatologist from Mission, Texas, has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison and three years of supervised release for orchestrating a massive health care fraud scheme involving more than $118 million in false claims. Dr. Zamora-Quezada were falsely diagnosed with chronic illnesses, subjected to unnecessary and dangerous treatments, and left physically and emotionally scarred.
Dr. Zamora-Quezada’s scheme centered around falsely diagnosing patients, including children, with rheumatoid arthritis—a painful and incurable autoimmune disorder. These misdiagnoses were used as a basis to bill Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE, and private insurers such as Blue Cross Blue Shield for unnecessary tests and toxic treatments.
According to federal prosecutors, the doctor administered unneeded infusions, injections, MRIs, and other procedures that not only lacked medical justification but carried serious health risks. These treatments included potent immunosuppressants with side effects like liver damage, strokes, bone necrosis, and extreme fatigue. For many patients, these interventions permanently altered the course of their lives.
In one testimony, a patient described losing the ability to perform basic daily tasks, feeling like life had lost its meaning. Another recalled how her child became a virtual “lab rat,” while many young adults abandoned dreams of college or careers, feeling imprisoned in elderly, weakened bodies.
The misconduct extended beyond the exam room. Evidence at trial revealed a toxic workplace, where employees were threatened, manipulated, and punished for not meeting quotas for unnecessary procedures. Zamora-Quezada referred to himself as “la eminencia” (the eminence), once hurled a paperweight at a staff member, and used immigration status as leverage to control vulnerable employees on J-1 visas.
When federal authorities began investigating, the fraud didn’t stop, it escalated. Zamora-Quezada falsified records, manipulated ultrasound images, and even stored vital patient documents in a urine- and feces-soaked barn infested with rodents and termites. Staff testified they were ordered to “aparecer” (make appear) missing files during audits.
After a 25-day trial, Zamora-Quezada was convicted on multiple counts, including conspiracy to commit health care fraud, seven counts of health care fraud, and obstruction of justice. He was also ordered to forfeit more than $28 million in assets, including 13 properties, a private jet, and a Maserati GranTurismo, all funded by taxpayer money and patient suffering.
“This is not just a punishment, it’s a warning,” said Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department. “Dr. Zamora-Quezada funded his luxurious lifestyle by traumatizing his patients, abusing his employees, lying to insurers, and stealing taxpayer money.”