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A Nigerian traditional ruler, Ekelekamchukwu Alphonsus Ngwadom, has been convicted and sentenced in the United States for committing Medicaid fraud after billing dozens of minors for mental health services they never received.
Ngwadom, 61, a psychotherapist and university professor based in North Carolina, was crowned king of Mbubu, Amiri Kingdom in Oru East Local Government Area of Imo State in 2021, following the death of his father.
Ejes Gist News reports that the conviction followed a multi-year investigation into fraudulent Medicaid claims linked to Ngwadom’s private counseling practice in the United States.
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Conviction and Sentence in the United States
The North Carolina Department of Justice confirmed that Ngwadom pleaded guilty to 27 counts of obtaining property by false pretenses in connection with Medicaid fraud.
The announcement was made by Jeff Jackson on January 13, 2025.
Ngwadom was sentenced to between 12 and 34 months in prison, a sentence that was suspended in favour of 36 months of supervised probation. The probation terms include a 90-day house arrest, 100 hours of community service, and restitution payments totaling $72,014.66.
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“If people defraud the Medicaid program, they are stealing from North Carolina taxpayers and from those who rely on this care,” Jackson said. “My office will not allow it, and we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to prevent fraud.”
Details of the Fraud Scheme
Court documents showed that between February 18, 2020, and March 18, 2021, Ngwadom submitted $72,014.66 in fraudulent claims to Alliance Health, a health insurance company that manages Medicaid and state-funded health plans in North Carolina.
The claims were for behavioural health services allegedly provided to 27 Medicaid patients, including minors. Investigators later established that the services were never rendered.
Alliance Health initially paid the claims, but its internal integrity unit flagged irregularities, prompting a formal investigation by the Attorney General’s Medicaid Integrity Division.
Investigation Triggered by Parent Complaints
The investigation began in 2020 after Alliance Health reported that one of Ngwadom’s clients appeared to have overlapping services billed by two different providers.
According to a search warrant, parents of the minor clients told investigators they had never received services from Ngwadom or his company, Almarch Counseling Services. Despite this, records showed Ngwadom had submitted 52 claims for the family’s two children between January and October 2020.
Prosecutor Tracy Grimes told the court that Ngwadom billed for services he claimed were part of an after-school programme. However, the programme was not operational due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
She added that Ngwadom had met some of the families years earlier while participating in the programme between 2016 and 2019.
Impact on Children and Families
Investigators were told by multiple families that Ngwadom sometimes visited their homes offering services, which they declined. Despite the refusal, claims were still submitted in their names.
Prosecutors said the fraudulent billing prevented some of the affected children from accessing legitimate mental health care from providers they were actively seeing, as Medicaid records showed they had already been billed for services.
Defence Argument and Court Proceedings
Ngwadom’s defence attorney, Lauren Toole, told the court that her client’s actions followed severe financial difficulties triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic.
She said the collapse of his business led to the foreclosure of his home and mounting financial pressure.
“He cannot undo what he did,” Toole told the court. “All he can do now is take responsibility and attempt to make it right.”
Ngwadom has reportedly taken out a second mortgage to help pay the restitution owed to Alliance Health.
Loss of Professional Licences
As part of his plea agreement, Ngwadom surrendered his professional licences and can no longer practice as a clinical mental health counselor.
State records show he became licensed in North Carolina in March 2015 and opened Almarch Counseling Services later that year. He has since secured alternative employment, according to his legal counsel.
During sentencing, Ngwadom admitted guilt after initial hesitation, later apologising to the court.
“This is not typically who I am,” he said, breaking down in tears before sentencing.
Probation Conditions and Future Risk
Judge Winston Gilchrist denied the prosecution’s request for immediate imprisonment and imposed a suspended sentence.
If Ngwadom violates the terms of his probation, he faces a minimum of one year and a maximum of three years in prison.
He was ordered to pay $45,000 of the restitution by January 21, 2026, with the balance to be settled under court supervision. After two years of compliance, he may be moved to unsupervised probation.
Coronation as Traditional Ruler in Imo State
Ngwadom was coronated on April 16, 2021, immediately after the burial of his father, the late Alphonsus Ngwadom, who reigned as the monarch of Mbubu, Amiri Kingdom.
Following the coronation, he assumed the title HRH Sir Eze Alphonsus Obianokwu IV of Mbubu, Amiri Ancient Kingdom.
At the time, community leaders expressed confidence in his leadership, citing his academic background, international exposure, and professional experience as strengths expected to drive development in the community.
