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Leticia Gallarzo Gets 6-Plus Years for Posing as Nurse and Stealing Identities

Prosecutors described a pattern of recidivism after she took new clinical jobs during pre-sentencing release.

Overview

  • U.S. District Judge Paul Maloney sentenced Gallarzo to about 75 months in federal prison on Jan. 26 for fraud and aggravated identity theft tied to a forged nurse’s license.
  • She must pay $81,769 in restitution and will be on supervised release for three years after her prison term.
  • Gallarzo admitted she used a Michigan nurse’s identity to work at a nursing home from August 2022 to May 2023, performing clinical tasks and later supervising staff.
  • Court filings say she fled Michigan in 2024 while awaiting sentencing, then obtained work in the Chicago area as a physician assistant and gave injections, before being arrested near Los Angeles in September.
  • Officials from the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI said her conduct put patients at risk, while her defense cited longstanding mental health struggles and expressed remorse.