A Texas physician was charged in a recently unsealed indictment for his role in a $240 million healthcare fraud scheme that involved falsely diagnosing patients with various degenerative diseases and then administering chemotherapy and other toxic drugs to patients based on the false diagnoses, according to the Department of Justice.
In addition to falsely diagnosing patients, Jorge Zamora-Quezada, MD, and his co-conspirators allegedly conducted a battery of fraudulent and excessive medical procedures on patients to increase revenue and support Dr. Zamora-Quezada's "lavish and opulent lifestyle," according to the DOJ. They allegedly concealed the fraud by creating fictitious patient records and hiding thousands of medical records from Medicare by stashing them in a dilapidated barn.
According to the DOJ, Dr. Zamora-Quezada and his co-conspirators used the proceeds from the fraud scheme to purchase private jets, luxury vehicles, clothing from high-end retailers and real estate, including two penthouses in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico; a condominium in Aspen, Colo., a condominium in Punta Mita, Mexico; and multiple homes and commercial properties in Texas.
Dr. Zamora-Quezada is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud, five counts of healthcare fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
The indictment seeks the forfeiture of Dr. Zamora-Quezada's personal jet, Maserati, and multiple residential and commercial properties in the U.S., according to the DOJ.
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