Woman pleads guilty to posing as a nurse at more than 40 facilities
By Christian Olaniran
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BALTIMORE COUNTY, Maryland (WJZ) — A Baltimore County woman has pleaded guilty to using stolen nursing licenses to work at more than 40 Maryland healthcare facilities over four years, earning at least $100,000 in fraudulent wages, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Thomasina Amponsah, 50, pleaded guilty to making false statements in connection with health care matters and to aggravated identity theft, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Baltimore. Her sentencing is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 12.
From September 2019 to August 2023, Amponsah posed as both a registered nurse and a licensed practical nurse using stolen identities, fabricated educational histories and falsified credentials, prosecutors said.
In August 2019, she used a Maryland nursing license number assigned to one victim and submitted a copy of that nurse’s license to gain employment as a licensed practical nurse.
Amponsah modified her own name on applications to include the victim’s last name, and falsely claimed to hold a nursing degree from Florida State University and prior supervisory experience.
She was terminated from her first job after admitting she had forged a physician’s signature on a prescription for Tramadol, a controlled opioid painkiller, according to officials.
In July 2021, Amponsah used another stolen identity to apply for nursing positions through a staffing agency, this time using a Florida license number. Between July 2021 and October 2022, she worked at 21 skilled nursing facilities through the agency.
At one facility in October 2022, Amponsah failed to administer prescribed medications and falsified medical records. Although she was terminated after being confronted for working without a valid license, she continued to seek employment using stolen credentials.
Several facilities billed Medicare and Medicaid for services rendered by Amponsah during this time.
Amponsah faces a maximum of five years in federal prison for making false statements related to health care matters. Federal sentences are typically below the maximum, with judges considering sentencing guidelines and other
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