A federal grand jury in Bernalillo County, New Mexico, has indicted a certified nurse assistant for their alleged involvement in a hospice fraud scheme. Potential sentencing includes more than two decades of imprisonment.
April Guadalupe Hernandez, 27, was an employee of Luna Del Valle Hospice, LilyCare of New Mexico and Hospice De La Luz. She allegedly assumed the identities of hospice nurses and illegally provided care to patients, according to a statement the New Mexico Department of Justice (NMDOJ) released on Wednesday.
Hernandez is charged with 19 counts of misconduct including allegations of identity theft, elder abuse, nursing without a license and Medicaid fraud, among other charges. An investigation by NMDOJ’s Medicaid Fraud and Elder Abuse Bureau found that Hernandez allegedly operated under stolen identities and mis-transcribed morphine medication to a patient, resulting in a nearly fatal dosage. If convicted, Hernandez faces up to 27.5 years in prison for all counts…