[00:00.0 - 00:05.6] A federal jury found a Texas rheumatologist guilty today for his role in a $325 million [00:05.6 - 00:11.0] health care fraud scheme in which he falsely diagnosed patients with lifelong diseases [00:11.0 - 00:16.3] and treated them with toxic medications on the basis of that false diagnosis. [00:16.3 - 00:23.0] Following a 25-day trial, Jorge Zamora-Quesada, MD, 63, of Mission, Texas, was convicted of [00:23.0 - 00:28.2] one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, seven counts of health care fraud, [00:28.2 - 00:31.6] and one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice. [00:31.6 - 00:36.9] Zamora-Quesada is expected to be sentenced on March 27, 2020, by U.S.
District Judge [00:36.9 - 00:42.6] Ricardo Hinojosa of the Southern District of Texas, who presided over the trial. [00:42.6 - 00:44.7] The conduct in this case was heinous. [00:44.7 - 00:50.7] Dr.
Zamora-Quesada falsely diagnosed vulnerable patients, including the young, elderly, and [00:50.7 - 00:56.4] disabled, with lifelong diseases requiring invasive treatments that those patients did [00:56.4 - 01:01.4] not in fact need, said Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benskowski of the Justice [01:01.4 - 01:03.9] Department's Criminal Division. [01:03.9 - 01:08.1] Today's guilty verdict shows that the Department of Justice will work tirelessly to protect [01:08.1 - 01:13.4] the public from unscrupulous medical professionals who greedily line their own pockets at the [01:13.4 - 01:16.6] expense of their patients' health and safety.
[01:16.6 - 01:21.3] As evidenced by the length of trial, this was a massive investigation into one of the [01:21.3 - 01:26.6] worst medical fraudsters, said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick of the Southern District [01:26.6 - 01:28.4] of Texas.
[01:28.4 - 01:34.0] Unnecessary medical tests to create millions of dollars of false billing is as bad as it [01:34.0 - 01:35.0] gets. [01:35.0 - 01:40.0] Patients were put through unneeded anxiety and pain so the doctor could make millions. [01:40.0 - 01:42.2] He won't need it where he's headed.
[01:42.2 - 01:47.1] The guilty verdict against Dr. Zamora-Quesada ensures he will pay a steep price for his [01:47.1 - 01:52.6] unthinkably callous and cruel criminal conduct committed for the sheer sake of greed, said [01:52.6 - 01:58.0] Special Agent in Charge C.J. Porter of the Office of Inspector General under the U.S.
[01:58.0 - 02:01.9] Department of Health and Human Services, HHS-OIG. [02:01.9 - 02:07.5] The abhorrent conduct in this case, which resulted in harm to unsuspecting patients, [02:07.5 - 02:13.4] only serves to deepen the dedication of HHS-OIG agents and our law enforcement partners to [02:13.4 - 02:19.7] pursue, prosecute, and exclude bad actors in the Medicare and Medicaid programs. [02:19.7 - 02:25.2] Rarely do we see such an egregious case of healthcare fraud where so many patients received [02:25.2 - 02:31.2] years of unnecessary and debilitating treatments which were rendered out of sheer greed, said [02:31.2 - 02:36.7] Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs of the FBI's San Antonio field office.
[02:36.7 - 02:42.0] The FBI is committed to seeking justice for each and every victim who suffered immeasurable [02:42.0 - 02:44.8] harm at the hands of these defendants. [02:44.8 - 02:50.1] The public deserves to be able to seek medical care without fear of being falsely diagnosed [02:50.1 - 02:52.9] and given toxic medications they don't need. [02:52.9 - 02:57.2] We will relentlessly pursue those who would enrich themselves at the expense of those [02:57.2 - 03:00.1] most vulnerable in our community.
[03:00.1 - 03:05.2] According to the evidence presented at trial, Zamora-Quesada falsely diagnosed a large number [03:05.2 - 03:12.0] of patients with rheumatoid arthritis, a lifelong incurable disease, and treated them with toxic, [03:12.0 - 03:18.8] medically unnecessary medications like chemotherapy drugs on the basis of that false diagnosis. [03:18.8 - 03:23.7] Many patients, including patients as young as 13, suffered physical and emotional harm [03:23.7 - 03:30.7] as a result of the false diagnoses, chemotherapy injections, hours-long intravenous infusions, [03:30.7 - 03:35.4] and other excessive, repetitive, and profit-driven medical procedures. [03:35.4 - 03:40.2] The evidence further showed that to obstruct and mislead a federal grand jury investigation, [03:40.2 - 03:43.4] Zamora-Quesada falsified medical records.
[03:43.4 - 03:48.5] Zamora-Quesada operated medical practices throughout South Texas and San Antonio. [03:48.5 - 03:53.0] He traveled to his various offices on his private jet and in his Maserati. [03:53.0 - 03:59.8] The Rio Grande Valley Healthcare Fraud Task Force, which includes the FBI, HHS-OIG, Texas [03:59.8 - 04:06.1] HHS-OIG, and Texas Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, investigated the case with assistance [04:06.1 - 04:09.4] from the Defense Criminal Investigative Service.
[04:09.4 - 04:15.4] Chiefs Adrian Frauser and Jacob Foster, and trial attorneys Rebecca Yuen and Emily Gerskus [04:15.4 - 04:19.9] of the Criminal Division's Fraud Section, are prosecuting the case, along with Assistant [04:19.9 - 04:24.3] U.S. Attorney Cynthia Villanueva of the Southern District of Texas. [04:24.3 - 04:28.6] Trial Attorney Kevin Lowell of the Fraud Section initially handled the prosecution.
[04:28.6 - 04:33.5] Source, www.yghs.gov.
