Texas Doctor Who Falsely Diagnosed Patients To Fund Lavish Lifestyle Defrauded Taxpayers Of Almost $30 Million

A Texas doctor who defrauded federal health programs of $28 million as part of a massive $118 million scheme has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, the Department of Justice announced.

Dr. Jorge Zamora-Quezada, a rheumatologist based in Mission, Texas, falsely diagnosed hundreds of healthy patients with rheumatoid arthritis and subjected them to costly, unnecessary — and sometimes dangerous — treatments. His scheme targeted Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE, and Blue Cross Blue Shield, stealing millions in taxpayer dollars meant to support vulnerable Americans. (RELATED: JENNY BETH MARTIN: Medicaid Waste, Fraud, And Abuse Must End)

⚖️💰🔥🏛️🔍Texas Doctor’s $325M Fraud Exposed. Dr. Jorge Zamora Quezada was sentenced to 10 years in prison for falsely diagnosing thousands with rheumatoid arthritis to bill insurers for unneeded chemo & treatments. His lavish lifestyle included jet, luxury cars & 13 properties.… pic.twitter.com/U4z5YXmd5u

— GoodMorningRooster (@RoosterGM) May 22, 2025

Prosecutors said Zamora-Quezada operated a years-long fraud out of his clinic, using his medical license and staff — many of whom were foreign workers dependent on their employment visas — to fuel a lifestyle of luxury. He purchased a Maserati GranTurismo, a private jet, and 13 properties across the U.S. and Mexico, all while exposing innocent patients to toxic medications with serious, sometimes permanent side effects.

“Dr. Zamora-Quezada funded his luxurious lifestyle for two decades by traumatizing his patients, abusing his employees, lying to insurers, and stealing taxpayer money,” DOJ Criminal Division head Matthew R. Galeotti 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,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. https://t.co/CLu3HMGm6L

— FOX 7 Austin (@fox7austin) May 23, 2025

The conviction comes as Texas and the medical community continue grappling with trust and accountability in health care. Just days earlier, President Donald Trump’s Department of Justice moved to dismiss charges against another Texas doctor — whistleblower Dr. Eithan Haim — who faced prosecution under the Biden administration for exposing sex change procedures being performed on minors at Texas Children’s Hospital, despite public claims the hospital had stopped them.

Republican Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley and Republican Texas Rep. Chip Roy were among those who called for the case against Haim to be dropped, citing the Biden DOJ’s overreach. Trump’s DOJ ultimately intervened to dismiss the charges.

Zamora-Quezada, by contrast, was convicted on one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, seven counts of health care fraud, and one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice. His scheme left patients with conditions such as liver damage, hair loss, and strokes after being pumped full of unnecessary treatments. Testifying doctors said it was clear most patients never had rheumatoid arthritis.

Zamora-Quezada even stored falsified records in a rodent-infested shed and forced staff to fabricate documents when insurers asked questions. For years, he intimidated employees, calling himself “eminencia” and used threats of deportation to maintain control.