A 55-year-old Nigerian man, Patrick Nwaokwu, has been sentenced to 21 months in federal prison in the United States for his involvement in a fraudulent nursing credentials scheme. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, Kelly O. Hayes, in a press release issued by the Department of Justice on Friday.
Details of the Sentencing
Judge Deborah L. Boardman imposed the sentence, which also includes two years of supervised release, for wire fraud. The case was investigated by the FBI Baltimore Field Office and the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), with Special Agents in Charge Jimmy Paul and Maureen Dixon respectively.
The Fraudulent Scheme
According to Nwaokwu's plea agreement, he conspired with others to sell fake nursing diplomas and educational transcripts. He also helped purchasers fraudulently obtain nursing licenses to secure jobs in healthcare. The scheme operated through entities like Nursing School 1 in Virginia and Palm Beach School of Nursing in Florida, causing over $1.5 million in actual losses.
Beginning in 2018, Nwaokwu worked with Musa Bangura, 67, of Manassas, Virginia, to recruit buyers in Maryland and elsewhere. They sold forged documents from Nursing School 1, falsely indicating that purchasers had completed required courses and clinical training. Since Nursing School 1 was no longer licensed, the documents were backdated to appear valid before the license was lost.
Additionally, from 2018 to at least July 2021, Nwaokwu conspired with Johanah Napoleon, 50, of West Palm Beach County, Florida, and Geralda Adrien, 56, of Broward County, Florida, to sell fake RN and LPN degrees from Palm Beach School of Nursing. Nwaokwu charged approximately $17,000 for RN degrees and $6,000 to $10,000 for LPN degrees. He instructed buyers to list the school on their NCLEX applications but leave the graduation date blank for backdating.
Impact and Consequences
These fraudulent documents enabled unqualified individuals to obtain nursing licenses from state boards, including the Maryland Board of Nursing, and gain employment in healthcare. The scheme exposed patients to potential harm, risk of death, and serious injury. Co-conspirator Bangura previously received a 13-month federal prison sentence.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI and HHS-OIG for their investigative efforts and thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan S. McKoy for prosecuting the case.
