In a recent development, a 35-year-old woman, Nora Nely Avila, has pleaded guilty to false statements related to health care matters. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

Avila confessed to impersonating a nurse and engaging in unauthorized nursing duties at various hospitals and home health companies in the Laredo area from January 2017 through December 2019. She secured these positions by presenting a fraudulent nursing license belonging to another individual. The affected patients and health care providers were part of the federally funded Medicaid and Medicare programs.

Additionally, Avila secured a role as a nurse trainer in the federally funded Job Corps program, where she was responsible for training future nurses.

In total, Avila received $52,241.66 in compensation for working as a licensed nurse, despite not holding the required license.

U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo accepted Avila's guilty plea and scheduled the sentencing for April 9. Avila could face up to five years in federal prison and a potential $250,000 fine at the hearing.

Despite the guilty plea, Avila has been allowed to remain on bond until the sentencing.

The investigation was a collaborative effort involving the FBI, Department of Health and Human Services – Office of the Inspector General (OIG), Department of Labor – OIG, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Texas Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn Olson is prosecuting the case.