A Michigan woman who used stolen identities and fake credentials to pose as a registered nurse—treating patients and supervising medical staff—has been sentenced to more than six years in federal prison, closing a years-long pattern of medical impersonation that spanned multiple states.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan, Leticia Gallarzo, 51, was sentenced on Jan. 26 to 75 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to fraud and aggravated identity theft. Prosecutors said Gallarzo falsely represented herself as a licensed nurse while working at a Michigan nursing home between August 2022 and May 2023.
Using a fabricated nursing license, diploma, and identification—along with the stolen identity of a real registered nurse—Gallarzo applied for the job through Indeed, authorities said. Once hired, she allegedly assessed patients, administered medications, started IV lines, and later supervised other healthcare workers after being promoted to unit manager.
Prosecutors said concerns about Gallarzo’s performance eventually led to her demotion, prompting her to seek new employment. A prospective employer uncovered her true identity and reported the matter to authorities, triggering the federal case.
Despite pleading guilty in October 2023, Gallarzo fled while awaiting sentencing, according to prosecutors. While on the run, she allegedly continued the same scheme, fraudulently working as both a registered nurse and a physician assistant in Illinois and California. She was eventually arrested near Los Angeles and returned to Michigan for sentencing.
Federal officials said the case was not an isolated incident. It marked Gallarzo’s third conviction for impersonating a nurse, following similar cases in Michigan in 2016 and Texas in 2017.
U.S. Attorney Timothy VerHey said Gallarzo “richly deserved” the sentence, stressing that the crime went beyond financial deception. “This was far more than a fraud,” VerHey said, noting that nurses are entrusted with life-and-death decisions for vulnerable patients.
Investigators said they found no confirmed evidence that patients were physically harmed, but emphasized the significant risk created by Gallarzo’s actions. FBI officials said the sentence sends a clear message that impersonating medical professionals—and abusing the trust placed in them—will be met with serious consequences.
