Laredo woman arrested for impersonating a nurse

LAREDO – A 35-year-old Laredo resident has been charged for making false statements related to health care matters and aggravated identity theft, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

Law enforcement took Nora Nely Avila into custody today. She is expected to make her initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Diana Song Quiroga tomorrow morning.

The three-count indictment, returned Sept. 6, alleges Avila impersonated a nurse from January 2017 through December 2019 and performed work she was not qualified to do at multiple home health companies in the Laredo area.

The patients and health care providers were part of the federally-funded Medicaid and Medicare programs, according to the charges. Avila is also alleged to have obtained employment as nurse trainer in the federally-funded Job Corps program and was assigned to train future nurses.

If convicted, Avila faces up to five years in federal prison as well as a possible $250,000 maximum fine for each of the false statements charges. She faces an additional two years in prison for aggravated identity theft which must be served consecutively to any other prison term imposed.

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 conducted the investigation. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn Olson is prosecuting the case.

An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.