A Zambian , Paul Pepala, 35 who scribbled down names, birth dates and Social Security numbers of 19 UPMC Shadyside patients and then gave them to a fellow Zambian, faces possible jail term after his guilty plea in Federal court.
The compatriot, who used the data to submit fake tax returns and claim US$84, 190 in refunds has apparently fled back to Zambia.
UPMC Shadyside is a 250 bed tertiary care hospital in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with a long legacy of leadership in cardiology and cardiac surgery.
According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Mr Pepala of Murraysville is a permanent resident of the US and has been a surgical instrument technician at UPMC Shadyside since 2008.
In February that year, he took down patients’ identifying information and passed on the names and numbers to a Mr. Eric Sinyangwe.
That act is the first violation of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act according to US Attorney David J. Hickton’s office
It was heard that Mr. Sinyangwe, along with fellow Zambian Mr. Gary Ndanga, ran a West Mifflin based business called Oubani Taxes.
The firm became an authorized tax preparer under the Internal Revenue Service’s E-File program.
According to Assistant US Attorney Gregory C. Melucci, the firm made arrangements with an unnamed bank to get refund anticipation loans for clients.
Mr. Pepala agreed to give the two tax preparers patient data in return for US$3,000 or US$4,000.
But he never got the money, because according to Attorney Anthony Bittner, who represents Mr. Pepala, Mr. Sinyangwe and Mr. Ndanga had “threatening personas and that they used undue influence on him.”
Mr. Sinyangwe prepared 2007 returns in the names of the 19 patients, claiming they were due refunds ranging from US$1,170 to US$6,273.
He got refund anticipation loans for at least some of the returns and put them in his own bank account, according to an indictment against him.
When some of the patients discovered that their tax returns had already been filed, they alerted the US Postal Service, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the US Secret Service.
The investigation led to Oubani Taxes.
Mr. Sinyangwe pleaded guilty in May 2010 but had his sentencing postponed. Two weeks after a court-sanctioned trip to Orlando, Florida and Chicago, he disappeared.
The sentencing hearing, which had been reset for May 26, 2011 was postponed indefinitely.
Mr. Melucci said Mr. Sinyangwe and Mr. Ndanga who were never charged appear to be back in Zambia.
The United States takes the position that a 1931 extradition treaty with the British empire binds Zambia. However, the Zambian Embassy says the pact is not in force.
Mr. Pepala will be sentenced on October 20, 2011. His crime is a misdemeanor, but because he is not a citizen, it could trigger deportation.
Mr. Bittner said Mr. Pepala was a hard worker who sends money to his mother in Zambia and helps a disabled sister in Baltimore.
He opted not to say whether Mr. Pepala knew, at the time, that what he was doing was wrong.
“He did not know that these numbers were going to be used for fraudulent tax returns. He is almost a victim of himself,” Mr. Bittner said.
Meanwhile, Zambia’s Ambassador to the United States of America, Mrs. Sheila Siwela has advised Zambians in the USA to avoid activities that may lead them into disrepute with the host country.
She has called on all Zambians to abide by the US Immigration Regulations and to promote the good name that Zambia has earned itself of late in the USA.
In a speech read on her behalf by Counselor (Consular and Political), Mr. Everistus B. Kalaba in Pittsburgh at the Immigration Meeting organized by the USA Immigration Office last weekend, Ambassador Siwela said it is the responsibility of each and every Zambian in the Diaspora to represent the country in the most positive light.
Ambassador Siwela says the government considers Zambians in the Diaspora as important ambassadors and partners in the development of the country.
“In this regard, I urge you to avail yourselves of the services provided by the Embassy to ensure that you remain in compliance with the law,” she said.
The statement has been released by First Secretary for Press Ben Kangwa at the Zambian Embassy in Washington DC.
ZNBC
Get the bastard, put him in a sack and send him back to Pittsburg by UPS.
More Zedians than you know are involved in this type of thing. They want good lifestyle on other people’s money. Get a job brother, it is so not worth it.
Fake it till you make it attitude is for losers.
Definetely, these chaps are Bembas! Masholi tuni!!
I feel for their families.The thing is,after all that money was made they can not even point a finger to what they acquired. it’s a shame and i hope it’s a eye opener to everyone that has intentions of getting into these kinds of situations.Everyone deserves a second chance and i hope they use these chances.
Most Zambians are hard working, truthful individuals. Mr Sinyangwe and Mr Pepala will pay for their crimes. I hope Zambia and USA have extradition treaty. I know these guys are hiding in some village or even Lusaka in Zambia. Just put a reward of $$ to be paid upon their capture. Sad story tarnishing our image.
Next to be arrested in Wellington Kanshimike, thats another crook….
Smoke these bastards. Yes thats true. i’m seeing alot of these fools in any form of illegal activities. Some of them at still locked up and some flead to Zambia.
Eric Sinyangwe is a fat, flashy dude who wears shiny neckties and drives big cars on stolen money, atase chimbuli ichi. He is married too.
#6 Wellington kanshimike is also a nurse’s aide in PA, I bet he is stealing patients’ data too.
Balekeni batabe chabe….:-?
chi@3 ulithole not every one from northern province is a bemba.tribalist cunt
These guys have got balls. Ebwaume ubu not bumbuli bwakupipa utukote. Bravo!!
Whats going on pa US guys. Not long ago another zedian was jailed for preying on old church members. He was a Pastor prophesying lies in the name of Jesus and inflicted them with HIV. You chaps have become gangsters eeeh. The US govt will smoke us out from wherever you are, just ask Bin Laden’s family. I have been suspicious of those mansions around meanwood, it cant be financed from ordinary loans obvious. Now we know, you are stilling from those in old peoples homes.
The Gary Ndanga guy is Zimbabwean. Very flashy dude just search Garikai Ndanga on Fb he is the one with kids as his profile pic. Africans like living large at other peoples expense.
Thi story reminds of me what happened at US embassy around 2000. Some Zambian guys who worked there stole millions od $$$. Later they came to America. Some went to Australia. In America they started smoking weed. This was in Massachusets(sp). One of them wanted to stab his own sister, she called police on him. Police came and he refused to put the knife down. Police shot him dead. Death is a reward for wrong living like stealing.
#3 Please dont bring tribalism here. We are all Zambians and this affects us all equally. I have friends from all parts of Zambia. I hate tribalism. Blame individuals and NOT a whole tribe.
Zambian white collar criminals are not sophisticated. In fact they are dum. They thought they were dealing with RB and Sons police service. I hope they rot in jail. These people are tarnishing our country’s name.
#11 shows why black people are mistrusted. They don’t like to work. That’s why African is the least developed continent on earth.
#4 ” The thing is,after all that money was made they can not even point a finger to what they acquired.”
Are you saying that its okey to steal if you can make use of the loot?
Rotten minds Zambians, stealing is bad period! We come from a rotten cultyre of corruption!
Dirty rotten scoundrels,why tarnish our good name?We don’t want to be treated like Nigerians are always seen with suspicion every country they go to because of their reputation for fraud,drug dealing and 419 scams.Remember the only place success comes before work is in the dictionary.
jsut stay in zambia and invest. new york, last vegas was built by blood money. those capitalist countries you live in are the biggest thiefs. invest that money in zambia finish, the victims will be refunded kwamana!!
Gary is Zimbabwean dude married to ngolwa sakala. They were living flashy lifestyles IN TEXAS on borrowed money. Eric fled now in Z. Gary in Z or Zim. Guys when you come to the states, you have to take care of UNCLE SAM TOO!!
The Gary guy is in Zimbabwe,i have a friend of mine whose husband is friends with him.he now has a chrome mine and drives a Range Rover Sport.my friend was surprised to know that he was involved in such a scandal.he carries himself around like he owns the world.i hear he left Ngolwa for Louise Size and has kids with her too.is he not being looked for that side coz we sure know where he is.
Exactly. he is a gold digger. wanted ngolwa for her money. he slept with ngolwa’s her sister and she had him arrested and kicked him out. had nowher to go, then run to zimbabwe and that foolish woman louise he told to abot the babys married him so he can have papers to stay in zimbabwe becoz he is american. now she thinks she is it, yet he is using her too.
He isn’t flashing borrowed money, he was flashing someone else’s money. He was a house wife. His wife was working hard while he stays home and spends her money. Dumb ass desperate women!!!
Zambians let’s not judge ! So many zambians are in the us working using other people ID and SS numbers that it self is I IDENTITY THEFT!!! Mr pepala is a victim in this ! So let’s not judge anyone …
Ba black muntu correct yourself. What flashy lives did they lead please! Someone from Mutendere considers Libala flashy, it depends were you are from. Don’t make things seem as they are not. You are only right about one thing, the fact that he is Zimbabwean not Zambian. Eric is a pittsburgh person not Texas. Elo ba Mulenga Chilupe was also stealing names for them from the bank where he was working so how come he is not mentioned here. Poor Paul.
Is that a Zambian name i wonder? Te mu kongolifye uyo?
Mulenga chilupe was the one giving that fat Eric the numbers .
His day will come soon.
#25 you r so ignorant.Leave Mulenga out of this.Make sure you get facts about what you blog.You will land yourself in serious trouble.Please dont hate!!!!!!!!!!! He is a dignified young man and i refuse to let a scumbug like you tarnish his image. Woo……wechipuba we!!!!
Hey am just saying what Ba black muntu said !! I am tarnish anyones name!!
Kena twa sebana!
Zambians ba onaula ishina kunse yachalo.
Nga ta bale fisa Ama Drugs mufinena ninshi nomba ni identity theft.
Nikwi tuleya?
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Yes he did it again! Married another woman with money. I was in Zim this past Christmas and witnessed that rubbish. What a fake wedding! Nhai veduwe! dont these women see what he is all about? he is a conn man kani! pretends like the money is his akapenga Gari! Louise Size married him, not the other way round. She paid for the wedding and everything had a 1000 guest wedding knk! Mashura indeed! Apa murume wacho has been in zimbabwe for years with nothing to his name, just changing women in Harare and Gweru. He hides behind women with money. Gari wacho is nothing but a low blow small time dealer. Imbwa yemhunu! STOP HIDING BEHIND WOMEN WITH MONEY AND MAKE YO OWN MONEY BHARANZI!!!
wow with the way gary feels himself here in zim,u wuld think he worked his ass out in the states to get all he has.thief in the making.hez probably looking for citizenship marrying a prominent businessman’s daughter
Smart guy. its a hard knock life. I would do the same. kekekekeke
gary is in zim spreading HIV like no man’s shit,arrest him sumbody..
.Louise Size’s father forced Gary to marry his daughter coz he hd impregnated her and infected her with HIV.Thats y she paid for everything at their FAKE wedding.hez in it for the money and he cheats on her day in day out.He is spreading HIV and impregnating young girls and making them abort.He carries himself around like he has money wen he is working for Mr Enos Size.He has nothing to his name that one.He is just a thief and a conman and a murderer.Cnt Interpol intervene or the Father in law mde sure he is not caught and taken back to the US.Poor Ngolwa she has to look after the kids on her own while this womaniser lives another life in Zim.
Which one of you here dated Garikai and was infected? You are all assuming the worst of them and yet you dont know the ins and outs of what happens in both their lvesi. Asvotwa ngaarutse mhen!!! NOONE is being forced to be a spectator in their lives. So what Louise married him? If he had a choice in the matter he would not have married her, money or not! Louise knew, and to this day knows what kind of guy her loving husband is about and she still chose to marry him. This was not a strategic move on his part but hey if he is going to live comfortably for as long as she will have him then why the hell not? Who here would not appreciated being “kept”? Let him be and concentrate on your own lives.
lol candy…sleep w him and see.we probably knw more than u can get ur hands on.everyone is subjected to their own opinion….fact is dude is infecting women day in day out n louise would rather have the con man to herself than let him go n her kids grow up w no daddy n have to die alone.At least they can remind each other to drink pills lol
There you go jumping to conclusions again. I did sleep with him and I assure u i am not positive. Louise was desperate from the get go trapping that man by becoming pregnant the first time. I am close friends with Garie’s brother and I do know more that u can ever imagine. The reality of it is Louise made her bed and all she do now is buy pretty bedding and lay in it. Someone needs to teach her how to dress and conduct herself in bed, maybe just maybe her hubs might stray a little less.
i disagree with you on the status issue but the rest is true lol she sure needs to learn how to dress n satisfy her man who belongs to the world.and ooh i slept with him too and i am positive so its either u nid to check again or u weee just lucky..*wink*….so i know what i am talking about and he knows i know.!!!!
This is all too funny and only dumb blondes would sleep with a man unprotected. This day in age. Especially if it’s a man known to be with every woman around. There too many people dying from STIs.
KG are you sure you got it from him? Hello miss judgemental aka Babygirl. Dumb blondes are those that think trappingn a man by falling pregnant will keep and change him, STIs can be treated babygirl not that i am promoting it. I don’t just sleep with man unprotected. We get tested together and only then do i venture into unprotected sex hence why I ask KG. I have had multiple sexual relations with him and I am negative as was he when we were tested. Ask his wife
Candy you quiet funny. If you sleeping with him just cause he tested negative, he’s sleeping with his wife whose to say that there’s no one else in that equation??!! Maybe after a while he won’t test negative. Whose to say none of the woman he’s already sleeping with are not running their own games? Don’t kid yourselves people. Louise might be a lot of things but am sure she has more than enough insight on the type of man her husband is. Every woman always knows what you getting yourself into.
kkkkk candy dnt u knw dat wen someone takes ARVs for a long time they test negative..loool u better get tested gerlie
Babygirl no one is refuting that Louise is aware of her husbands extra curricular activities. She knows and well aware of the fact that she is his wife on paper but his pleasure is fulfilled elsewhere. I mean the nights he doesn’t spend at home or the late nights cannot be easily explained away now can they?!?. Our sexual encounters are now over and done with since I moved but I know of at least 2 girls he messes around with and in case u r wondering I am still negative.
good for u then Candy.mke sure u dnt sleep w him again (unprotected)..coz if u do u wil surely be infected.you knw 2 only lol its 10 or more!!
Well I wouldn’t be surprised if there are 50 little girls lined up for him, he is quite good in bed and is very generous. I am sure at some point in his lifetime he might commit to his marriage which looks like a bit of a sham at this point but hey….to each their own. Louise is shedding off the pounds so maybe there will be some attraction there and he could cut the side chicks to about 25. Honestly my heart aches for this girl. I hope she is a prayer warrior. Moral of the story…pop babies for a man that truly loves you not one who is ready to smash another chick on your supposed wedding. Dang girl…
Candy, you seemed really focused on Louise’s life. If you really know the truth as you say you will know that those two went out long before Garikai became a father. Louise was even bigger in weight then. Ask any man weight doesn’t play a big factor on love maybe lust. What amazes me is you judge so much when you yourself are not married or with your own man but with someone’s. Never judge a situation when you yourself are not in that person s shoes. Life is a journey and you never know what will happen.
Lol. It seems like you need to be educated on their situation then babygirl – specifically on how they ended up together to begin with but I won’t get into that. Focused on her life? I assure you I am not. You could say I am an intrigued observant bystander. Men just like women care about women’s appearance; the only time they will profess to not caring is when they are in a situation where the woman is in fact on the big side otherwise it does matter. In this case it mattered! Ask Lou. If she is to be honest with herself and people she will tell you that her hubby is there for the money. I am not judging. I am expressing my opinion on the matter just like you are. The only difference is we are on opposing sides. If I didn’t know better I’d say I am talking to the Mrs Ndanga herself. You s
If you say so. Will take your word as the expert on it. You did say you know so much about the real truth. Sue has a point old habits die hard. However it’s easy to say he’s there for the money with Louise. He was a serial cheat with Ngolwa too where was the money factor then? There’s no defense to either side. A scandal that he created himself? Whereas the love in that with Ngolwa? It’s a pity. Yes Candy I am looking from afar too. I just don’t believe there’s always one side to a story. So take up either side. Louise knew what was on store.
You seem invested and focused on her life too baby girl. Are you on her payroll?
Lol. Payroll? You trash her like you in love with Garikai. So I guess each has a strong opinion. I know them both from the time they were in Dallas. So am not blind to anything.
People leave Garie alone.So wat if he s ther for the money.Truth is if it wasnt for the scandal he got himself in he will still be with Ngolwa coz thats who he loves together w their kids Mwamba and Niza.Bt well he got himself in this mess n he got to liv with it whether for the money or not.And he sure is seeing other women, it will never be louise only.Thats Garie for you…bad habits die hard with Mr Ndanga.
I have information on Gary , this guy needs to be stopped. He conned my mother
Guys leave the Gari alone,he in it for the so what????We all got different ways of surviving isnt it….!!!Sorry to the one who got infected,but are u sure hiz e only person you were sleeping with,coz if you can screw a married man it makes u nothing better than a whore….FAKE wedding or not he still married!
Garikai Ndanga passed away an hour ago.may his soul rest in peace.ur son will miss you…
loooool sindy Garikai is alive..its funny how all you people are getting all worked up over my cousin’s husband.anything you say will not change the situation, they r together for life.so deal with it…smh
this garikai guy is milking the size family by using their name in shady business deals, his in it for the money nothing else. i know it all
ask around how he uses louise size name without her knowing he even clons her cards and uses the size name for business deals. stop garikai ndanga before its too late
Identity theft is Wat he does best.lorraine your cousin is just an ATM and a baby making machine.Garie is hers in their house lol. Not for life my dear for as long as the cash is available…