Long Island Man Charged in $2.6M Medicaid Fraud That Left Babies Malnourished

Nduka Lewis Ekpenyong, 36, allegedly swapped prescribed infant formula for cheap alternatives, pocketing $2.6M while buying a mansion and Bentley.

Long Island Man Bought Mansion and Bentley While Babies Went Without Proper Formula

A Long Island man spent $2.6 million in stolen Medicaid funds on a luxury mansion, a Bentley, and a Range Rover while infants who depended on specialized baby formula received cheap over-the-counter substitutes instead, NY Post Metro reports.

Nduka Lewis Ekpenyong, 36, was charged Monday with grand larceny and healthcare fraud after New York Attorney General Letitia James announced the case. Prosecutors also filed a civil lawsuit in Brooklyn court seeking nearly $7.6 million in damages, including repayment of the $2.6 million in fraudulent Medicaid billings.

Ekpenyong ran the scheme through his Brooklyn company, Duke Medical, LLC, between April 2023 and July 2025. Doctors' offices ordered specialized, high-cost infant formulas for patients with medical needs — formulas covered by Medicaid. Ekpenyong's company billed the government for those expensive products but delivered only basic PediaSure, a widely available over-the-counter supplement, pocketing the price difference each time.

On some occasions, the company delivered no formula at all.

"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 said in a press release. "My office has shut down this heartless fraud scheme for good."

The attorney general's office said the scheme "prevented some families in need from getting the formula their children's pediatricians had ordered, preventing them from receiving the care they needed."

With the proceeds, Ekpenyong allegedly purchased a $1.6 million mansion in Hewlett, a $70,000 black Bentley, and a $67,000 black Range Rover. He also spent on upgrades to the property, including an outdoor kitchen, a marble fountain, and a red basketball court in the front yard bearing his own initial. A $33,000 Mercedes was purchased for his live-in girlfriend, who was herself enrolled in Medicaid, authorities said.

James issued a direct warning to others who might seek to exploit the program: "This case should send a strong message to anyone seeking to profit by exploiting Medicaid: we will use the full force of the law to bring you to justice."

Ekpenyong faces both the criminal charges and the civil lawsuit filed in Brooklyn court.

Source: NY Post Metro