Nduka Ekpenyong arrested for $2.5 MILLON baby formula Medicaid fraud scheme that fueled luxury NY lifestyle
“Ekpenyong heartlessly charged Medicaid millions for pediatric formula that was never delivered.”
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“Ekpenyong heartlessly charged Medicaid millions for pediatric formula that was never delivered.”
A resident of Hewlett, New York, has been accused of defrauding Medicaid out of more than $2.5 million through a scheme that denied children access to necessary nutritional products. Nduka Lewis Ekpenyong, 36, submitted over 6,000 Medicaid claims via his business, Duke Medical, Inc., for PediaSure with Peptides, a product he largely never actually procured, according to prosecutors.
“Ekpenyong heartlessly charged Medicaid millions for pediatric formula that was never delivered, making it harder for kids to get the care they needed,” New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a post.
“While Nduka Ekpenyong was buying luxury cars with money he allegedly stole from our state’s Medicaid program, families affected by his fraud were struggling to feed their children,” James added in a press release.
Both Ekpenyong and Duke Medical now face charges of Grand Larceny, Healthcare Fraud, and Scheme to Defraud. He spent the allegedly ill-gotten funds on luxury cars including a Bentley and a Range Rover and used the money and pay the mortgage on his Long Island mansion.
According to investigators, Ekpenyong directed staff at pediatric offices to modify physician prescriptions by swapping standard PediaSure for the costlier PediaSure with Peptides. The more expensive formula is intended specifically for pediatric patients with serious gastrointestinal conditions.
Thousands of reimbursement claims were then submitted to Medicaid for products that were never actually ordered, according to the indictment. An audit from the Office of the Attorney General found that Duke Medical had only bought roughly 10 percent of what was billed to Medicaid.
Medicaid disbursed approximately $2,531,194.30 to Duke Medical for the formula that was neither medically appropriate nor, in many instances, ever purchased or delivered. The investigation also found the misconduct left certain some families unable to obtain the formula their children's doctors had prescribed.
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