Leticia Gallarzo, a 51-year-old Michigan woman, received a 75-month federal prison sentence on January 26, 2026, for impersonating a registered nurse using stolen identities. This marked her third such conviction, following cases in Michigan (2016) and Texas (2017), after she fled pretrial and continued fraudulently working in Illinois and California.
Case Details
Gallarzo fabricated nursing credentials, including a license, diploma, and ID, to secure a job at a Michigan nursing home from August 2022 to May 2023 via Indeed. She performed patient assessments, administered medications, started IVs, and supervised staff as unit manager until demoted for poor performance. A new employer uncovered her fraud, leading to her guilty plea in October 2023 for fraud and aggravated identity theft; she was arrested near Los Angeles after fleeing.
Legal Outcome
U.S. District Judge Paul Maloney imposed the sentence, emphasizing patient safety risks despite no confirmed harm. U.S. Attorney Timothy VerHey called it a clear message against exploiting healthcare trust. Her attorney cited mental health struggles, but prosecutors highlighted repeated offenses.
Broader Implications
This case underscores federal crackdowns on healthcare fraud amid rising identity theft in medical roles. Similar Michigan incidents, like Oakland and Flint cases, show pattern enforcement. No patient injuries were reported, but risks from unqualified care drove the stiff penalty.
