DISGRACEFUL:

Nigerian professor, GORDAN NDUBIZU, Pharmacist Wife Arrested in United States for Defrauding IRS $1.3million, Failing to report  $3.3million in Pharmacy Income 

… charged with filing false tax returns, unlawfully distributing, dispensing; possessing with intent to distribute and to dispense Schedule II controlled substances to including oxycodone

*Further slammed with four counts of tax evasion and four counts of filing false tax returns for tax years 2014 through 2017

*Couple in their 60’s face 35 years jail term in prison, embattled lecturer face sack at Drexel University working place

*“The Ndubizus filed false prescriptions knowing that the drugs would not be used for a legitimate medical purpose, instead would be illegally diverted to street-level drug dealers, operated a single location pharmacy, purchased and distributed millions of dosage units of oxycodone. Suspects diverted oxycodone pills to cash-paying customers, into street-level drug dealers with fraudulent prescriptions; evaded state and federal reporting requirements by manipulating the pharmacy’s dispensing records to conceal the missing inventory”-U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger 

*BY GEORGE ELIJAH OTUMU/AMERICAN Senior Investigative Editor

HE IS A NIGERIAN ACCOUNTING PROFESSOR in one of America’s top varsity, Gordan A. Ndubizu, 67, and Pharmacist wife, 62-year-old Florence Ndubizu are in deep trouble and had been arrested for defrauding the Internal Revenue Service, IRS, to the tune of $1.3million in falsified tax evasion and unreported $3.3million unreported income from Pharmacy business. 

The Ndubizus are owners of a Mercer County pharmacy facing charges which include tax evasion, filing false tax returns, and illegally distributing controlled substances, U.S. Attorney Phillip R. Sellinger announced. 

The couple have been arrested on separate charges, Sellinger said Thursday. The Ndubizus live in Princeton Junction and owned Healthcare Pharmacy in Trenton, he said.

Florence, a former pharmacist, now facing one count of conspiracy to unlawfully distribute and dispense and to possess with intent to distribute and to dispense Schedule II controlled substances, (including oxycodone), one count of unlawfully distributing and dispensing a controlled substance; and one count of maintaining a premises for the illegal distribution of a controlled substance.

Court documents show Florence and “employee conspirators” filed false prescriptions “knowing that the drugs would not be used for a legitimate medical purpose, but instead would be illegally diverted, including to street-level drug dealers.”

“Ndubizu, operating a single-location pharmacy, purchased and distributed millions of dosage units of oxycodone,” Sellinger said. She “diverted oxycodone pills to cash-paying customers, including street-level drug dealers with fraudulent prescriptions, and then evaded state and federal reporting requirements by manipulating the pharmacy’s dispensing records to conceal the missing inventory,” he added.

As at press time, Gordian is facing four counts of tax evasion and four counts of filing false tax returns for tax years 2014 through 2017, Sellinger said.

Gordian, who holds a Ph.D., “was a professor of accounting at a university in Pennsylvania ” as well as the co-owner of the pharmacy, Sellinger said. Officials say he “prepared fraudulent books and records for Healthcare Pharmacy” and “falsely under-reported his income.”

Gordian failed to report about $3.3 million in income from the pharmacy, “resulting in the evasion of approximately $1.3 million in tax due and owing,” Sellinger said. This means he owes about $1.3 million in back taxes, documents show.

Gordian Ndubizu also transferred money to accounts he controlled in Nigeria instead of using the money to buy goods for the pharmacy, Sellinger said. He did not report these foreign accounts on his tax returns, according to Sellinger.

Each count of tax evasion carries a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a maximum fine of $100,000, according to Sellinger’s office. Each count of filing a false tax return carries a maximum potential penalty of three years in prison and a maximum fine of $100,000.

Gordian began teaching accounting at Drexel University’s LeBow College of Business in Philadelphia in 1987, according to a discrimination suit he filed against the college in 2007, the second he filed against the school. He was victorious in the first case, but lost the second, according to court records.

In 2012, he was awarded an outstanding International accounting educator award by the  American Accounting Association. 

Meanwhile, there were talks in some sections of the press that Gordian may face an eventual sack from Drexel University if convicted for the crimes as alleged. 

A representative for Drexel didn’t immediately reply to a message seeking comment.

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