Dr. Charles Akoda Is Not a Real Person, But That Didn’t Stop Him from Practicing Medicine

At least 100 women have come forward claiming to be patients of Dr. Charles Akoda at Prince George’s Hospital Center in Maryland. The problem is that Dr. Charles Akoda is not a real person; he’s an identity thief who managed to fool both hospital administrators and patients for eight years, as he practiced as an OB/GYN. Over the course of his time there, “Akoda” delivered babies for a number of women.

Fox 5 reports that 10 women have filed a class-action lawsuit “claiming Akoda allegedly falsified the majority, if not all of his medical degrees, documentations and identity, as he practiced medicine as a gynecologist at hospital for a total of eight years from 2008 to 2016 – as both a resident and then as a doctor.” The suit claims the women’s patient rights were violated because of the deception.

Prince George’s Hospital Center claims to have performed a “diligent and thorough background check” on “Akoda” before he was hired. They are defending themselves against any wrongdoing.

How did this happen?

Prince George’s County investigated whether Akoda was practicing without a license, back in 2014. In 2016, he was indicted for using a fraudulent Social Security number. During the course of the investigation, the U.S. Attorney’s office discovered “a false passport, a false social security number, altered immigration documents, altered diploma, altered medical transcripts, altered letters of recommendation.”

On November 16, 2016, Akoda – whose real name is Oluwafemi Charles Igberase – pled guilty to misusing a Social Security number to obtain a medical license. The US Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland issued a release saying Igberase, who had entered the country in 1991 on a nonimmigrant visa, had four different SSN and three different names, and that he used this information to obtain certificates from the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG). The ECFMG revoked two of the certificates upon learning that the information was fraudulent, but did not revoke the third. Using this third certificate, in 1998, he entered a residency program in New Jersey. He was dismissed two years later, in 2000, when officials discovered that his SSN was a fake.

Fast forward eleven years. According to the US Attorney’s Office:

“In 2011, Igberase also used the third social security number to fraudulently apply for federal education loans for his children. That same year, using a fourth fraudulent social security number that belonged to another individual, and other fraudulent documents in the name Charles John Nosa Akoda, Igbergase obtained a medical license in Maryland, after completing a U.S. residency program. He went on to practice obstetrics and gynecology and obtained medical privileges at a hospital in Prince George’s County.”

In short “Dr. Akoda” is a licensed doctor; he’s just not a real person. He did go through medical training and obtain a medical license, but he did so by stealing multiple identities. The strength of these identities allowed him to fool Prince George’s Hospital Center and two residency programs, plus at least 100 women.

This will be an interesting case to keep any eye on. We invite you to check back here for updates. Please contact Paulson & Nace, PLLC through this contact form or by calling 202-463-1999.