By Matthew Enuco
www.nj.com
(TNS)

A Drexel University accounting professor was found guilty Thursday on all eight counts of tax evasion and filing false tax returns, U.S. District Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced Friday.

Gordian A. Ndubizo, 69, of Princeton Junction, was found guilty Thursday by a federal court jury in Trenton on four counts each of tax evasion and filing false tax returns between 2014 and 2017, officials said.

Ndubizo was accused by authorities of keeping false accounts in another company with which he was associated, thereby evading income taxes of about $1.25 million on an income of about $3.28 million.

In addition to teaching accounting at Drexel University in Philadelphia from 2014 to 2017, Ndubizo was also, according to officials, co-owner of Healthcare Pharmacy in Trenton. The company was registered as an S corporation, and its income went directly to Ndubizo and his wife and should have been reported on their personal income tax returns.

According to authorities, Ndubizo created fraudulent books and records for Healthcare Pharmacy that inflated the cost of goods sold in order to reduce the pharmacy’s profits, which went directly to Ndubizo and his wife.

The fake books made certain transfers appear to be payments to purchase goods, when in reality the money was transferred to accounts controlled by Ndubizo as well as to bank accounts in Nigeria linked to an automaker controlled by Ndubizo, prosecutors said.

In each of the four years that authorities accused Ndubizo of keeping false books, authorities said he also lied about having authority or interests in foreign bank accounts.

In total, Ndubizo did not pay taxes on about $3.28 million of his income between 2014 and 2017, authorities said.

A Drexel University spokesman said Ndubizu has been on leave since 2022.

“In accordance with federal privacy law and the university’s standards for protecting the privacy of its employees, Drexel does not comment on personnel matters,” the university said in a statement to NJ Advance Media. “Reports of misconduct or illegal activities by Drexel employees will be investigated by the university under its Code of Conduct, and any individuals found responsible for misconduct will be subject to appropriate sanctions under Drexel’s Code of Conduct, up to and including termination of employment.”

Ndubizo was indicted by federal authorities in May 2022, but had already settled separate Medicaid overbilling allegations with state authorities months earlier in March.

As part of the settlement with the New Jersey Comptroller’s Office, Ndubizo agreed to repay more than $280,000 in Medicaid funds.

His lawyers did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday.

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