Justice James Tsoho of the Federal High Court in Lagos Monday granted the request of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Adoke (SAN), for one Mr. Godwin Chiedo Nzeocha, to be extradited to the United States of America to face criminal charges over an alleged $30 million Health Care Benefit Fund fraud.

Nzeocha, 54, worked with the City Nursing Services in Houston, Texas, US as a Physical Therapist Aide between 2007 and 2009.

In US, he was alleged to have conspired with others and submitted claims worth $45 million to the Medicare and Medicaid for health care services on behalf of some patients who were beneficiaries of the health insurance claims.

Nzeocha and his accomplices were paid $30 million but failed to remit the funds to the beneficiaries.

Consequently, he was dragged before a US District Court in the Southern District of Texas, Houston by the US Department of Justice on October 19, 2009 for offences bordering on conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud, money laundering and mail fraud.

Rather than face his trial, Nzeocha fled to Nigeria. In his ruling, Justice Tsoho agreed with the prosecution that the extradition application was competent and that the alleged offences which are the basis of the extradition request are returnable offences.

He therefore ruled that accused be extradited to US to face trial within a period of one month. Nzeocha was arrested in June 2011 by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) following a petition from the Legal Attaché to the US Consular Office, Lagos, on behalf of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Part of his extradition charges read: “Conspiracy to commit health care fraud in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1349, carrying penalty on conviction of a fine of up to $250,000, or imprisonment of not more than ten (10) years, or both; supervised released of not more than three years; a special assessment of $100.00 for each convicted offence.”

Indictment with health care fraud in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1347, carrying penalty on conviction of a fine of up to $250,000, or imprisonment of (10) years, or both; supervised released of not more than three (3) years; and a special assessment of $100.000 for each convicted offence.

http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/court-extradites-nigerian-to-us-over-30m-fraud/116827/

www.africagist.com

If only some of dis fraud perpetuated by our politicians affected d western nations,esp d US& UK,as dis one did,we wud av seen far more convictions& d nation wud av bn d better for it

If I understand the US criminal justice system well (and I think I do), this man is going to die in prison.

His brothers in Nigeria can begin the process of sharing his loot b/c he aint coming back in this life time

US dey vex now. They just keep carrying people from any country now wey don mess up for their side. I wont be surprised if they start extraditing Yahoo boys.

na today, many of them operating medical office are like that, the medical doctors never satisfy in life despite of the huge wages.

If I understand the US criminal justice system well (and I think I do), this man is going to die in prison.

His brothers in Nigeria can begin the process of sharing his loot b/c he aint coming back in this life time

better for him because if the don't do that, the guy go carry the money contest election; win!, corruption continues.

Good for him; I wish he gets both the imprisonment and the fine! I also wish he gets deported back to serve his jail term in one of Nigeria‘s overcrowded prisons. I bet he‘ll be completely reformed afterwards, and wouldn‘t want to touch stolen money with a six-foot pole!

Sky-walker:


Do you really have to go this low?

$30 million greenback is a large sum of money and those in the class of Ajuda can pull that off !

^^^^^^^^

Why do you always tribalise issues ?

whats wrong with our nigerian guys when it comes to money.corruption everywhere.

With that kind of money Uncle Sam would hunt you to wherever

The US should stop playing high standard. When it was their citizen defrauding Nigeria (Haliburton) they opted for settlement.

What is good for d goose should as well be good for d gander. Our Judiciary only live to their expectation when a politician is not involved

Until our judiciary is re-structured and re-positioned to be d last bus stop of d common man, I'm afraid our democracy will only be a laughing stock in d eyes of the wider society.

Wow
was this guy living big in nigeria?
solid case of the evil that men do living after them?
especially in US?

alj harem: ^^^^^^^^

Why do you always tribalise issues ?

because charity ought to begin at home but nobody wants to address the fact that ibos are very criminally-minded bunch with moral decadence !

People know topic like these will bring out the psychotic tribalist, I mean the sky is blue, water is wet, NL Tribalist will always be triblists, so what's new yet you guys react like this is something you have never experienced and before you know it. . .the thread has gone downhill.

Ignore them because when you don't you are only validating them and this is what they want.

Sisi_Kill: People know topic like these will bring out the psychotic tribalist, I mean the sky is blue, water is wet, NL Tribalist will always be triblists, so what's new yet you guys react like this is something you have never experienced and before you know it. . .the thread has gone downhill.

Ignore them because when you don't you are only validating them and this is what they want.

Where is your sagamite??

Tell him to meet on that thread, sisi.

Hmmmmmmmmm

I hapen 2 knw d man. He is 4rm delta state. His moda is 4rm ondo state and he marid 4rm edo state

nakedall: na today, many of them operating medical office are like that, the medical doctors never satisfy in life despite of the huge wages.

who say make u no go school? U think say 2 read medicine na moin-moin.