How a Kenyan Allegedly Built One of Washington’s Biggest Healthcare Fraud Rings

A Kenyan man was convicted in a Washington jury for operating one of the state’s biggest Medicaid fraud rings.

On Friday, a jury found 47-year-old David Mungai Njenga guilty of leadership of organized crime, five counts of first-degree identity theft, one count of second-degree identity theft, three counts of first-degree theft, and one count of second-degree theft.

Prosecutors alleged Njenga ran an illegal nurse staffing business, placing unqualified impersonators at nursing facilities around Washington.

Njenga founded the Seattle-based Heritage Medical Staffing to recruit individuals without nursing licenses and presented them as legitimate ones.

He allegedly used the personal information and licenses of actual nurses to create counterfeit licenses.

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Njenga’s Medicaid Fraud Scheme

Nursing facilities paid Njenga for presumably licensed health care staff; he compensated the impostors below minimum wage and pocketed the rest of the funds.

“We are gratified to get justice for the many people harmed and put at risk by these crimes,” said Washington Attorney General Nick Brown. “This verdict is the result of our team’s commitment to cracking down on Medicaid fraud and ensuring the safety of our health system.”

According to prosecutors, the health of patients was put in danger- some of the impersonators were allegedly unable to take a patient’s blood pressure or prescribed inappropriate medication.

The Attorney General’s office states that between March 2017 and October 2019, Njenga operated the illicit scheme via his business.

The state’s first Medicaid fraud trial to include the charge of leading organized crime, a class A felony, was this case.

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Njenga Faces Sentencing for His Role in a Counterfeit Nursing Credential Scheme

Suspicion of Njenga started in 2019, when a former employee was charged with assuming the identity of a registered nurse through counterfeit documents.

When interviewed, she indicated that the documentation came from Njenga.

The Washington State Department of Health also charged Heritage Medical Staffing in 2022 for unprofessional conduct.

Also named in this charge were Evelyn Louise Wambui Njuki, Jacob Kabitu, and Evah Njeri Mwangi, who allegedly provided legitimate nurses’ documents to unlicensed individuals.

Njenga faces 12-16.5 years in prison and fines of up to $ 50,000.

He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 16.

A warrant has been issued for co-defendant Evelyn Njuki, who is missing and did not attend the trial.

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A Kenyan man was convicted of all 11 charges in a Washington jury for operating one of the state’s biggest Medicaid fraud rings. / PHOTO PCS