Fake Nurse Faces Up to 100 Years in Prison, Indicted on 34 Counts

An alleged “fake nurse” accused of working at four New Mexico healthcare facilities without a license has been indicted on 34 counts by a grand jury in Doña Ana County, according to KRQE News. Margarita Gonzalez is charged with identity theft, nursing without a license, abuse of a resident, distribution of controlled substances to a minor, and fraud totaling more than $25,000.

The indictment follows an investigation by the Medicaid Fraud and Elder Abuse Bureau of the New Mexico Department of Justice, which alleges Gonzalez, who holds no nursing license or credentials, illegally administered injections and dispensed prescribed medications to vulnerable patients. If convicted on all counts, Gonzalez could face up to 100 years in prison.

None of the allegations have been proven in court, and Gonzalez is presumed innocent unless and until she is convicted.

According to the New Mexico Department of Justice, Gonzalez was hired and later fired by four New Mexico providers: Village at Northrise, Las Cruces Wellness and Rehabilitation, Peak Behavioral Health, and Matrix Home Care. Each terminated her over patient safety concerns, citing what investigators described as “a questionable method of delivering medical care and a lack of knowledge during patient care.”

• Investigators also allege Gonzalez dispensed narcotics to eight juvenile inpatient residents during her time on the job.
• In a separate incident, she nearly administered an incorrect insulin dose to a patient that the department said could have resulted in serious injury or death. The error was caught by her orienting nurse before the medication was given.

“Impersonating a healthcare provider is a reckless and selfish crime that subjects those most vulnerable to risk of serious injury or death,” New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez said in a news release. “I will not tolerate those who risk the safety of patients or cause danger and unnecessary confusion within the healthcare system. These charges should keep anyone attempting to pose as a healthcare provider on notice: we will find you, and we will prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law to protect New Mexicans.”

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The New Mexico indictment is part of a broader pattern that crossed state lines. In February 2025, the Texas Board of Nursing issued an “imposter alert” for Gonzalez after she allegedly attempted to secure registered nurse positions at two El Paso facilities, Mountain View Nursing and Rehabilitation and AVIR at Patriot. The board said she used license numbers and names belonging to nurses with similar names.

Texas officials reported that Gonzalez accepted the El Paso positions but did not provide direct patient care. Both facilities flagged her during credentialing once the personal information she submitted failed to match the Board of Nursing’s licensee verification. The cases were referred to the El Paso County District Attorney’s Office and the Las Cruces 3rd Judicial District Court in New Mexico for prosecution.

For working nurses, this case is a stark reminder of how much patient safety hinges on credentialing and on the vigilance of licensed staff at the bedside. Investigators say a potentially fatal medication error was prevented because an orienting nurse, the licensed RN responsible for supervising a new hire, double-checked an insulin dose before it reached the patient. Without that catch, the NMDOJ said the outcome could have been deadly.

The allegations also expose how someone without credentials can move through hiring in long-term care, behavioral health, and home care, where staffing shortages and high turnover pressure HR teams to fill open shifts fast. Texas facilities flagged Gonzalez during credentialing, but the New Mexico facilities reportedly did not catch the issue until concerns surfaced on the floor. Preceptors, charge nurses, and orienting RNs play a critical role in spotting red flags early, and this case shows what is at stake when something feels off.

🤔 Have you ever oriented a new hire who didn’t seem to know the basics, or caught a near miss in the medication room? Tell us what happened in the comments.

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