GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – A 51-year-old woman from outside Grand Rapids will spend years in federal prison for repeatedly posing as a licensed nurse.
According to authorities, Leticia Gallarzo used the Michigan licensing number and name of an actual nurse to secure a job at a Grand Rapids hospice care facility between August 2022 and May 2023.
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This marks the third known conviction for Gallarzo for falsely representing herself as a nurse, with previous convictions in 2016 in Kent County and 2017 in Texas.
Officials confirmed Gallarzo does not have a valid nursing license. She claimed to hold a master’s degree in nursing from George Washington University, but federal authorities said she has no formal nursing degree.
Gallarzo created a fake nursing license, diploma, and identification documents to make it appear to the nursing home that she was trained and licensed as a registered nurse.
Gallarzo obtained employment by assuming the identity of a registered nurse licensed in Michigan. After being hired, she was promoted to manager, supervising other health care professionals in providing care to nursing home residents.
Gallarzo performed patient assessments, administered medications, started intravenous lines and carried out other nursing duties.
She began searching for another nursing job after being demoted when the nursing home noticed her difficulties performing the duties she claimed to be qualified for.
A potential employer uncovered her true identity and reported her to the authorities.
She was charged with fraud and aggravated identity theft in September 2023 and pleaded guilty in 2023.
Before sentencing, she reportedly left Michigan and got jobs in the medical field in Illinois and California, where she was arrested and extradited to Michigan.
On Monday, Jan. 26, Gallarzo was sentenced to 75 months in prison for creating false medical records indicating she was a licensed registered nurse.
She was also sentenced for aggravated identity theft after fraudulently assuming the identity of a real nurse licensed in Michigan.