New York restricts psychiatrrist Godfrey Mbonu following fraud conviction

October 26, 2011

On August 11, 2011, the New York Department of Health Administrative Review Board for Professional Medical Conduct issued a Determination and Order placing the license of Godfrey Mbonu on probation with a permanent restriction to work only in licensed hospital setting, which will remove him from dealing directly with money and billing.

On December 22, 2009, Mbonu pleaded guilty to second-degree grand larceny for defrauding the U.S. Medicaid program and was sentenced April 28, 2010 to one year in prison and restitution of more than $214,000.

An investigation by the New York Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) revealed that from 2003 to 2009, Mbonu submitted hundreds of claims to Medicaid for medical services he never provided.

Records obtained by the MFCU showed that Mbonu submitted claims to Medicaid for sessions in his office when he actually was out of the country or when the patient listed was actually hospitalized. 

Additionally, it was found that to double reimbursements from Medicaid, he billed Medicaid at the rate for services delivered by a psychiatrist when they were actually provided by a clinical social worker. 

Mbonu admitted at his plea hearing to having intended to defraud Medicaid. 

Source: Determination and Order No. 11-98, in the Matter of Godfrey U. Mbonu, M.D., State of New York Dept. of Health Administrative Review Board and “NY psychiatrist guilty of $214K Medicaid fraud,” North Country Gazette, December 22, 2009.