Fake Docs, Fake License: Bowie Doctor Admits Fraud

GREENBELT, MD – Oluwafemi Charles Igberase, a/k/a Charles John Nosa Akoda, 54, of Bowie, Maryland, has confessed to a years-long scheme built on stolen identities. Igberase pleaded guilty November 15, 2016, to misusing Social Security Account numbers to illegally secure a medical license in Maryland and practice medicine under false pretenses. The case, a tangled web of deceit, reveals a calculated effort to circumvent the system and exploit vulnerabilities in the medical licensing process.

Federal investigators, led by U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein, uncovered a pattern of fraudulent activity dating back to 1991. Igberase initially entered the U.S. on a nonimmigrant visa, but quickly began acquiring fraudulent Social Security numbers under assumed names. This wasn’t a one-time offense; between 1992 and 1998, he secured three certifications from the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) – all using fabricated identities and stolen numbers – in a bid to practice medicine and enter a U.S. residency program. Two of those certifications were later revoked when the fraud was discovered.

Despite being ousted from a New Jersey residency program in 1998 after his fraudulent Social Security number was flagged, Igberase persisted. In 2011, he leveraged a third stolen number to fraudulently obtain federal education loans for his children. The same year, he secured a Maryland medical license using a fourth fraudulent Social Security number, completing a residency program before practicing obstetrics and gynecology and gaining hospital privileges in Prince George’s County. The audacity is staggering – years of patient care built on a foundation of lies.

The scheme began to unravel in 2012 when a Medicare Enrollment Application submitted under the “Akoda” identity was denied due to discrepancies in the provided Social Security number. A subsequent search warrant executed at Igberase’s Bowie residence yielded a trove of incriminating evidence: a false Social Security card, a forged Nigerian passport, a fake U.S. visa, and a mountain of altered documents related to immigration, medical diplomas, transcripts, and birth certificates. This wasn’t just a quick forgery; it was a meticulously crafted identity, designed to withstand scrutiny.

The investigation, a collaborative effort between Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Social Security Administration – Office of Inspector General, the Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management – Office of Inspector General, the FBI, and the Prince George’s County Police Department, paints a disturbing picture of systemic exploitation. Igberase and the government have agreed to a sentence of six months in prison, followed by six months of home detention as part of three years of supervised release, pending acceptance by U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm. Sentencing is scheduled for February 27, 2017.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kelly O’Connell Hayes and Michael T. Packard are prosecuting the case. Rosenstein commended the tireless work of all involved agencies, emphasizing the importance of safeguarding the integrity of the medical profession and the security of sensitive personal information. This case serves as a stark reminder that identity theft isn’t a victimless crime; it’s a betrayal of trust with potentially devastating consequences.