Former Montgomery County doctor sentenced to 7 years in federal prison for $5M healthcare fraud

Rezik Saqer is seen in a courtroom in this undated file image. (KPRC)

HOUSTON – A former Montgomery County doctor was sentenced to serve seven years in prison for his role in fraudulently billing health care programs for at least $5 million.

Rezik Saqer, 66, had pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud on July 2, 2019.

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The investigation began in September 2015 when one of Saqer’s patients drove while impaired on a prescription medication wrongly given to him, according to prosecutors. The patient struck and killed a family on Highway 105 in Conroe as they headed home from church, prosecutors said. The family of four, including a 6-year-old boy and 4-year-old girl, were all killed in the crash, according to prosecutors.

The patient involved was prosecuted and convicted of intoxication manslaughter. During the prosecution, the patient revealed that Saqer’s practice of writing unlawful prescriptions, and those allegations led to the state charges against Saqer, prosecutors said.

Evidence revealed at the federal sentencing hearing that Saqer’s health care fraud scheme involved having the patient submit unnecessary and dangerous procedures and tests, prosecutors claimed. Those procedures were conducted by Saqer’s unlicensed staff and fraudulently billed to health care providers as having been provided by him, prosecutors said.

It was discovered the doctor’s scheme contributed to several overdose deaths, according to prosecutors.

In addition to Saqer’s sentence, he is also ordered to pay $5 million in restitution.


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