• Popular Igbo monarch, Ekelekamchukwu Alphonsus Ngwadom, convicted in the United States over Medicaid fraud.

• US court finds the Igbo traditional ruler guilty of billing minors for mental health services never rendered.

• Monarch receives suspended jail term, probation, house arrest, and over $72,000 restitution in Medicaid fraud case.

A Nigerian traditional ruler, Ekelekamchukwu Alphonsus Ngwadom, has been convicted and sentenced in the United States over a Medicaid fraud scheme involving false claims for mental health services.

Ngwadom, a 61-year-old psychotherapist and university professor based in North Carolina, was found guilty of submitting fraudulent Medicaid claims for services allegedly provided to minors who never received such care.

The Igbo monarch was crowned king of Mbubu, Amiri Kingdom in Oru East Local Government Area of Imo State in 2021, shortly after the death of his father.

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According to the North Carolina Department of Justice, Ngwadom pleaded guilty to 27 counts of obtaining property by false pretences in connection with the Medicaid fraud case. The announcement was made on January 13, 2025, by the state’s Attorney General, Jeff Jackson.

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The court sentenced him to between 12 and 34 months in prison, but the sentence was suspended. Instead, Ngwadom was placed on 36 months of supervised probation. The conditions include a 90-day house arrest, 100 hours of community service, and restitution payments amounting to $72,014.66.

Prosecutors revealed that between February 2020 and March 2021, Ngwadom submitted fraudulent claims to Alliance Health, a company that manages Medicaid and state-funded health plans in North Carolina. The claims covered behavioural health services for 27 Medicaid patients, many of them minors, which investigations later confirmed were never provided.

The fraud was uncovered after Alliance Health detected irregular billing patterns and received complaints from parents who denied receiving any services from Ngwadom or his company, Almarch Counseling Services.

Further findings showed that Ngwadom continued to submit claims even when families declined his services. In some cases, the false billing prevented affected children from accessing legitimate mental health care, as Medicaid records indicated they had already received treatment.

During court proceedings, Ngwadom’s lawyer cited financial hardship caused by the COVID-19 pandemic as a factor behind the offences. Ngwadom admitted guilt, apologised in court, and has since surrendered his professional licences, barring him from practising as a clinical mental health counselor.

The judge warned that any violation of probation terms could result in immediate imprisonment for up to three years.

Ngwadom was coronated as HRH Sir Eze Alphonsus Obianokwu IV of Mbubu, Amiri Ancient Kingdom, in April 2021, with community leaders at the time expressing confidence in his leadership and professional background.