ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO – A Doña Ana County grand jury has indicted a woman accused of impersonating a nurse and providing care without proper credentials at multiple facilities in Las Cruces.
According to the New Mexico Department of Justice, 43-year-old Margarita Gonzalez is accused of using stolen identities of licensed nurses from Texas to secure jobs at four healthcare facilities. Investigators say she worked at Village at Northrise, Las Cruces Wellness and Rehabilitation, Peak Behavioral Health, and Matrix Home Care.
Officials allege Gonzalez provided patient care despite not having a valid nursing license. Court records indicate she administered medications and injections and dispensed controlled substances, including to juvenile patients receiving inpatient care.
In one instance, authorities say Gonzalez was stopped by another nurse just before administering the wrong dose of insulin to a patient—an error that officials say could have resulted in serious harm or death.
Gonzalez is facing 34 charges, including identity theft, fraud, abuse of a resident, distribution of controlled substances to a minor, and practicing nursing without a license. If convicted on all counts, she could face up to 100 years in prison.
The case was investigated by the Medicaid Fraud and Elder Abuse Bureau of the New Mexico Department of Justice. An attorney for Gonzalez had not been listed in the case filings as of Wednesday.
The case remains under investigation.
