US Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Timothy VerHey announced that Leticia Gallarzo, age 51, formerly of Wayland, Michigan, was sentenced to 75 months in prison for creating false medical records indicating that she was licensed as a registered nurse. She was also sentenced for committing aggravated identity theft after fraudulently assuming the identity of a real nurse licensed in Michigan. Between August 2022 and May 2023, Gallarzo worked as a registered nurse at a nursing home in the Western District of Michigan. Gallarzo obtained her employment through Indeed.com by assuming the identity of a registered nurse licensed in Michigan. Gallarzo created a fake nursing license, diploma, and identification documents to make it appear to the nursing home that she was in fact an individual trained and licensed as a registered nurse.
After obtaining employment, Gallarzo applied for and obtained a promotion to the position of unit manager, meaning she supervised other healthcare professionals in the care they provided to the nursing home residents. Gallarzo performed patient assessments, administered medications, started intravenous lines, and carried out other nursing duties. As Gallarzo’s performance as a nurse faltered, the nursing home demoted her, and she began to look for another nursing job. Fortunately, her prospective employer uncovered her real identity and reported her to authorities.