OKLAHOMA CITY - An Edmond man has been charged with caretaker abuse following an investigation by the Oklahoma Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. Gerald Ngwa, 37, was arrested July 22 by an MFCU agent and an Oklahoma County sheriff’s deputy.
The MFCU investigation began after a referral was received from the Oklahoma City Police Department regarding a report of potential abuse by caretaker at Villagio Senior Living in Oklahoma City.
During the investigation, MFCU agents obtained witness statements and other evidence confirming Ngwa slapped a resident on the left side of her face above the eye. At the time of the alleged incident, Ngwa was a nurse working at Villagio through a third-party staffing agency.
Abuse by caretaker is a felony crime; if convicted, Ngwa faces up to 10 years in prison and/or fines up to $10,000.
After his arrest, Ngwa was booked into the Oklahoma County Jail and subsequently released from custody after bond was posted. Records showed he had not made an initial appearance in Oklahoma County District Court by July 28.
The Oklahoma MFCU investigates and prosecutes cases of abuse, neglect, drug diversion, and financial exploitation of elderly and vulnerable adults. In this role, the MFCU serves as a safeguard against caretakers who abuse, neglect, or exploit vulnerable Oklahomans.
The Oklahoma MFCU has statewide jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute violations of state and federal laws pertaining to provider fraud in the administration of the Medicaid program. Additionally, the MFCU pursues and monitors whistleblower litigation at the Oklahoma level and on a national level in conjunction with other states’ MFCU and U.S. Attorneys offices. The MFCU can recover Medicaid funds by pursuing criminal sanctions, civil judgments, or administrative recoveries.
The Oklahoma MFCU receives 75% of its funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under a grant award totaling $3,424,943 for federal fiscal year 2022. The remaining 25%, totaling $856,235 for FY 2022, is funded by the State of Oklahoma.