A Nigerian traditional ruler and United States-based academic, Prof. Ekelekamchukwu Alphonsus Ngwadom, has been convicted and sentenced for Medicaid fraud in the United States after admitting to billing minors for mental health services that were never provided. Eyes Of Lagos reports,
Ngwadom, 61, is a psychotherapist and Professor of Psychology and Sociology at the University of Mount Olive, North Carolina. He is also the traditional ruler of Mbubu, Amiri Kingdom in Oru East Local Government Area of Imo State, having ascended the throne in 2021 following the death of his father.
The North Carolina Attorney General, Jeff Jackson, announced on January 13, 2025, that Ngwadom pleaded guilty to 27 counts of obtaining property by false pretenses.
According to court records, Ngwadom was sentenced to 12–34 months imprisonment, which was suspended and replaced with 36 months of supervised probation. The sentence includes 90 days of house arrest, 100 hours of community service, and a restitution payment of $72,014.66 to Alliance Health.
Jackson described Medicaid fraud as a serious crime, stating that it diverts public funds from vulnerable individuals who depend on essential healthcare services.
Between February 2020 and March 2021, Ngwadom submitted fraudulent claims totaling $72,014.66 to Alliance Health, a North Carolina-managed healthcare organization overseeing Medicaid and state-funded plans.
The claims were submitted through Almarch Counseling Services, a company owned by Ngwadom, and involved 27 Medicaid patients, including minors, for therapy sessions that investigators later determined never took place.
Alliance Health’s internal integrity unit flagged the unusual billing activity, prompting an investigation by the Attorney General’s Medicaid Integrity Division, the North Carolina Department of Justice, and the State Bureau of Investigation.
Investigators found that parents of several minors denied ever receiving services from Ngwadom, despite records showing dozens of claims submitted in their names.
In court, prosecutor Tracy Grimes revealed that Ngwadom claimed the services were provided under an after-school programme that was not operational during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Grimes further stated that some families declined Ngwadom’s offers of home-based services, yet billing continued in their names, preventing the children from accessing care from their actual providers.
Ngwadom’s defence attorney, Lauren Toole, argued that the offences occurred during a period of financial hardship following the pandemic, which resulted in the foreclosure of her client’s home.
“He made a serious mistake and accepts responsibility,” Toole told the court.
As part of his plea agreement, Ngwadom was required to surrender his professional counselling licences. He has since taken out a second mortgage to assist with restitution payments and secured alternative employment.
During sentencing, Ngwadom emotionally admitted guilt and apologised to the court, describing the incident as uncharacteristic of him.
The presiding judge, Winston Gilchrist, denied the prosecution’s request for immediate imprisonment but warned that Ngwadom would serve up to three years in prison if he violates probation terms.
Ngwadom was crowned on April 16, 2021, shortly after the burial of his father, the late HRH Sir Eze Alphonsus Ngwadom (Obianoekwu III). He currently holds the title HRH Sir Eze Alphonsus Obianokwu IV of Mbubu Amiri Kingdom.
At the time of his coronation, community leaders had described him as educated, globally exposed, and capable of driving development in the kingdom.
As of the time of this report, neither the Mbubu Amiri traditional council nor community representatives have issued an official statement regarding the conviction.
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