FBI Arrests A Nigerian Medical Doctor For Multimillion Dollar Healthcare Fraud

A Nigerian medical doctor by the name Patrick Nwaokwu has been arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for his involvement in a multimillion dollar healthcare fraud. The 50 years old Patrick Nwaokwu was arrested on 9th July 2021, barely 24 hours after the United States issued a warrant of his arrest on 8th July 2021.

According to Peoples Gazette, the medical doctor alongside his associates, Musa Bangura and Johanah Napoleon face charges for conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud, conspiracy to commit false statements relating to health care matters, and false statements relating to health care matters.

The suspects are accused of selling fraudulent transcripts and diplomas, listing courses which unqualified individuals unknowingly took, as well as their grades. The nurses were subsequently employed at various healthcare facilities in Maryland.

The court document revealed that the FBI in 2019 received information that Dr. Nwaokwu and Bangura created illegal transcripts and certificates through a privately-owned nursing school in northern Virginia in the United States of America.

“From 8th August 2008 to 30th June 2013, Nursing School 1 was a nursing school in Virginia until it was shut down for violating certain state regulations by the Virginia Board. After that time, Dr. Nwaokwu and Bangura continued to illegitimately operate Nursing School 1 as a place where people could go to simply purchase illegitimate LPN transcripts and certifications that are backdated to June 30, 2013,” the 35-page document stated.

It also stated that each transcript alleged that the student completed 1,700 hours of nursing education before graduating from Nursing School 1. The document also detailed that the Nursing School 1 students paid between $6,000 and $18,000 for the transcripts and certificates.

In 2020, two separate FBI undercover operations obtained the fraudulent degrees and approximately 175 of Nwaokwu’s nursing graduates have applied to the Maryland Board of Nursing. According to FBI Dr. Patrick Nwaokwu and his partners will be charged to court and prosecuted.