A Nigerian man based in the United States of America, Patrick Nwaokwu, has been jailed by the US Attorney’s office, District of Maryland, over nursing credentials scams.
Nwaokwu bagged a 21-month jail sentence in the federal prison with supervised release for committing wire fraud.
His sentence was announced by the US Attorney for the District of Maryland, Kelly O. Hayes, alongside Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, FBI Baltimore Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Maureen Dixon, Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG).
Nwaokwu was convicted of conspiring with some people to sell fraudulent nursing diplomas and educational transcripts to individuals.
The convict was also said to have assisted these individuals in the fraudulent purchase of nursing transcripts, licences and certificates needed for employment in the health care sector across the US.
According to his charges, the 55-year-old Nigerian is part of the various fraudulent schemes including Nursing School 1, located in Virginia, and Palm Beach School of Nursing, located in Florida.
In a statement issued by the US Attorney’s Office, District of Maryland, the convict alongside his co-conspirators – through the scheme caused more than $1.5 million in actual losses.
“Beginning in 2018, Nwaokwu conspired with Musa Bangura, 67, of Manassas, Virginia, to recruit potential purchasers in Maryland and elsewhere who were looking to obtain nursing degrees. Nwaokwu sold fraudulent Nursing School 1 documents to purchasers.
“These documents falsely confirmed that the purchasers completed the necessary courses and clinical training at Nursing School 1 to obtain nursing degrees.
“Nursing School 1 is no longer licensed, so Nwaokwu, Bangura, and others backdated the false documents that they sold to purchasers to make it appear that they attended Nursing School 1 before it lost its licensure,” the US Attorney’s office said.
It also stated that between 2018 and 2021, Nwaokwu conspired with Johanah Napoleon, 50, of West Palm Beach County, Florida, and Geralda Adrien, 56, of Broward County, Florida, to sell false and fraudulent RN and LPN degrees from Palm Beach School of Nursing to individuals in Maryland.
Throughout the said period, he charged the sum of $17,000 for RN degrees and $6,000-$10,000 for LPN degrees.
He also instructed his clients to list Palm Beach School of Nursing on their National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) applications but to leave their graduation date blank, so the date could be backdated.
This would make it appear that the student graduated before Palm Beach School of Nursing lost its licensure.
The statement noted that, by furnishing these fraudulent documents, Nwaokwu and his co-conspirators aided the purchasers in acquiring fraudulent nursing licenses from state licensing agencies, including the Maryland Board of Nursing, and ultimately employment in the health care field.
In addition, these fraudulent practices allowed these unqualified individuals to apply for licensure and practice as nurses within the US.
“As a result, Nwaokwu and his co-conspirators consciously and recklessly exposed Maryland patients to potential harm, risk of death, and serious bodily injury.
“Bangura previously received a 13-month federal prison sentence for his role in the scheme,” it added.
Commending the FBI and the HHS-OIG for their painstaking investigation, Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan S. McKoy who prosecuted the federal case to a conclusion.