Long Island Man Accused of $2.6M Medicaid Fraud Scheme Targeting Malnourished Infants

A Long Island man has been accused of defrauding the state's Medicaid program of $2.6 million by substituting lower-grade baby formula for prescribed, specialized formulas intended for malnourished infants. The scheme, which allegedly ran from April 2023 to July 2025, allowed Nduka Lewis Ekpenyong, 36, to fund a lavish lifestyle, including purchasing a mansion and luxury vehicles.

According to New York Attorney General Letitia James, Ekpenyong operated the fraud through his Brooklyn company, Duke Medical, LLC. Doctors would order expensive, specialized formulas for their patients, but Duke Medical would allegedly fail to deliver them or would instead provide a less expensive product like PediaSure. The company then billed Medicaid for the cost of the higher-grade formulas.

"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 stated. "My office has shut down this heartless fraud scheme for good."

Ekpenyong is accused of using the illicit funds to purchase a $1.6 million mansion in Hewlett, a black Bentley valued at $70,000, and a black Range Rover worth $67,000. He also allegedly spent $33,000 on a Mercedes for his live-in girlfriend, who was herself a Medicaid recipient. The mansion reportedly featured opulent upgrades such as an outdoor kitchen, a marble fountain, and a red basketball court in the front yard bearing his initial.

Officials are seeking nearly $7.6 million in damages from Ekpenyong, which includes the $2.6 million in fraudulent Medicaid bills. He faces charges of grand larceny and healthcare fraud, as well as a civil lawsuit.

Prosecutors stated that in some instances, Duke Medical failed to deliver any formula at all, thereby preventing needy families from receiving the care their children's pediatricians had ordered. The Attorney General's office emphasized that this case sends a strong message against exploiting Medicaid, vowing to pursue justice against those who profit from such schemes.