A Virginia woman was arrested after impersonating a certified nurse for a month, allegedly working at multiple hospitals in California and overseeing the care of about 60 patients.
Amanda LeeAnn Porter, 44, was arrested Tuesday by the Burbank Police Department on suspicion of posing as a nurse at Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Los Angeles County, KTLA. reported.
The agency said Porter cared for about 60 patients at the hospital and posed as a genuine registered nurse, who was not based in California, between April 8 and May 8. Two paychecks had been collected until staff members discovered the incident.
The hospital has since fired the scammer and reported her actions to authorities, according to KTLA.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney on Tuesday charged Porter with three felonies: identity theft, identity theft and grand larceny.
She was arraigned Wednesday and is being held without bail at the Los Angeles County Central Regional Detention Center in Lynwood, detectives said.
During the investigation, Burbank police discovered that Porter had previously posed as a nurse.
A Burbank police investigation revealed that the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department had arrested Porter on suspicion of committing a similar crime at Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital in Santa Clarita.
However, Porter posted bail and was released from Los Angeles Sheriff's Department custody.
An investigation by Burbank PD detectives revealed that Porter is believed to have obtained employment at multiple local hospitals throughout California using various false identities.
Detectives believe other local hospitals also hired Porter because they suspected he used a false identity.
Investigators are asking anyone with information about similar incidents in Southern California to call local law enforcement or the Burbank Police Department.
Providence St. Joseph Medical Center and Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital told KTLA that Porter was employed on a probationary period, during which time he was under the supervision of a qualified nurse practitioner.
Officials at both hospitals say it quickly became clear that Porter's nursing care during the short-term employment she fraudulently obtained at both facilities was inadequate to meet the expectations of a registered nurse. said.
Both hospitals said patients she cared for were informed about the incident.
The detectives said: LA Times Porter is currently on federal probation for fraud in Virginia.
According to US Department of Justicea woman named Amanda Porter-Ealy, matching the suspect's age and also referred to in the film as “Amanda L. Porter.” Submission to courtIn 2017, she pleaded guilty in Virginia to committing bank fraud by impersonating a nurse.
Prosecutors said Porter Ely used her status as a nurse in New York to get a job at a Virginia hospital in September 2015.
She was found guilty of working as a nursing supervisor at the hospital without the required license for six months before being fired.
Porter Ely continued to use the identity of a real nurse until her arrest in September 2016, causing losses to banks and retailers of more than $120,000.
During that time, she fraudulently opened multiple bank accounts and obtained more than $450,000 in cash, loans, goods and services, including at least three cars and stolen property under her nursing identity.
Porter-Ely also pleaded guilty to using another person's Social Security number to open a bank account, and prosecutors determined she obtained nearly $50,000 in worthless checks.
According to the LA Times, Burbank police have not confirmed whether Amanda LeeAnn Porter and Amanda Porter Ealy are the same person because the investigation is ongoing.
