On May 20, 2025, the Arizona attorney general’s office released an indictment of individuals and businesses involved in defrauding the State of Arizona’s Medicaid program and Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS). The indictment targets twenty two defendants, including Happy House Behavioral Health entity and its leader, a Pastor and his pentecostal Hope of Life International Church based in Arizona along with tens of their associates. They have been charged of defrauding the State of Arizona’s Medicaid program of tens of millions of dollars. According to sources close to the defendants, most of the indicted have Rwandan citizenships or are connected to the Rwandan dictatorship. The indictment happens while DR Congo President Félix Tshisekedi and Rwandan dictator Paul Kagame are expected in Washington DC to sign a peace agreement negotiated by the US Government.
Based on the indictment from the Superior Court of the State of Arizona, a copy of which AfroAmerica Network has received, the Phoenix pastor, Theodore Mucuranyana, and his Hope of Life International Church based in Glendale, Arizona, are among 22 individuals and entities that have been charged for allegedly defrauding Arizona’s Medicaid program out of $60 million. The Hope Of Life International Church caters to East African migrants, mostly from Rwanda, a tiny country in the Great Lakes Region of Africa.
The indictments include co-defendants, Desire Rusingizwa and Fabrice Mvuyekure, who, using their business Happy House Behavioral Health as a shell, were able to submit more than $60 million in fraudulent Medicaid claims. According to the indictments the defraud scheme of the $60 million happened between August 2022 and January 2024.
Pastor Theodore Mucuranyana and his congregation, Hope Of Life International Church, were indicted on a combined 10 felony counts of money laundering. They are accused of working with the other defendants to divert millions in state funds intended for mental health treatment and addiction rehabilitation, using fake rehab claims for services never provided or to deceased, incarcerated, or hospitalized patients.
The indictment pointed to 22 individuals and entities involved in the racketeering scheme and specified specific transactions considered as money laundering.
More defendants working with the Pastor and his associates face additional charges, including conspiracy, theft, patient referral fraud, fraudulent schemes and artifices, and forgery. Hope Of Life International Church is a member of the Assemblies of God, a Pentecostal Church with a large number of followers in Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The church claims to focus on serving east African migrants in the Phoenix area, in Arizona.
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A grand jury specifically indicted 17 individuals and two organizations, including Hope of Life International Church and its pastor, Theodore Mucuranyana. The names of 3 indictees were not given in the indictment document.
According to the indictment, in the Summer of 2023, through Hope of Life International Church, Happy House Behavioral Health laundered two checks, one for $5 million and the other for $500,000. Then in December 2023, the church wired $2 million and $100 to an unnamed “entity” in Rwanda. According to several sources, it is suspected that the money may have been used to fund the invasion of Eastern DR Congo by Rwandan Defense Forces (RDF) under the cover M23 rebels.
In July 2023, Fabrice Mvuyekure issued a check for $2.8 million. During the same period, Happy House Behavioral Health wrote two checks to Hope of Life Church, one in June 2023 for $500,000 and another in July 2023 for $5 million. According to the documents filed in the Maricopa County Recorder's Office, in August 2023, Hope of Life Church transfereed around $900,000 to pay for a property, with Hope of Life Church listed as the buyer.
Those indicted for fewer counts are Mojok Ajawin, Fabrice Irakoze, Jean Paul Iranzi, Lambert Kagaba, Deborah Birume Moise, John Biganiro Moise, Alexandra Aline Mudagiri, Jacques Mudege, Mugisha Mazimpaka Muhima, Theogene Assoumanti Ntwari, Liliane Nyambo, Josiane Umutoni, Theodore Mucuranyana, Agustine Bazira, Edward Nyandwi and three others whose names were not listed in the indictment.
According to sources in Rwanda, most of the indictees lived in Rwanda before moving to Arizona, United States and have remained connected with the current Rwandan dictatorship. The sources mentioned that Desire Rusingizwa served as an Accountant in Kigali, Rwanda and was a board member of The Mahoro Peace Association (MPA) and Fabrice Mvuyekure was an auditor of the Rwanda Revenues Authority. Mugisha Mazimpaka Muhima is also the owner of Abba Residential Care LLC in Arizona which employed people connected to the Rwandan dictatorship and military. Jean Paul Iranzi has been associated with and leading youth organizations in Rwanda.
The indictments come as the DRC Congo President Félix Tshisekedi and Rwandan dictator Paul Kagame are expected in Washington DC to sign a peace agreement negotiated by the US Government (US - DR Congo - Rwanda: US Government Makes Progress in the Peace Process Aimed at Stopping the Invasion of DR Congo by Rwanda).
Hence, politicians, journalists, and other actors have started to prepare for the implications of the indictments on the signature ceremony to be led by US President Donald Trump, as announced in recent statements on the peace process. Hence, there are growing speculations that the Rwandan dictator may find excuses to evade the signing ceremony, sending a representative or quickly sign and disappears immediately after the ceremony to avoid the media.
AfroAmerica Network is still assessing the information and following the case.
@AfroAmerica Network, 2025
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