A Virginia woman was caught impersonating a registered nurse for a month and allegedly worked in multiple hospitals across California while overseeing the care of some 60 patients.
Amanda Leeann Porter, 44, was arrested by the Burbank Police Department on Tuesday after it was revealed she was allegedly posing as a nurse at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Los Angeles County, KTLA reported.
Porter cared for roughly 60 patients at the hospital and collected two paychecks between April 8 and May 8 before staff discovered she was impersonating an actual, registered nurse not based in California, according to the department.
The hospital then fired the fraudster and reported her actions to authorities, according to KTLA.
The LA County District Attorney charged Porter with three felonies: identity theft, false impersonation, and grand theft on Tuesday.
Detectives said she was arraigned Wednesday and is being held without bail at the LA County Central Regional Detention Facility in Lynwood.
During their investigation, the Burbank Police Department discovered that Porter had posed as a nurse before.
The LA County Sheriff’s Department had arrested Porter on suspicion of committing a similar offense at Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital in Santa Clarita, the Burbank Police Department unearthed.
However, Porter posted bail and was released from the custody of the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department.
Burbank PD Detectives’ investigation revealed that Porter is believed to have obtained employment with multiple local hospitals using various false identities around California.
Detectives believe other local hospitals hired Porter after she allegedly used false identities.
Investigators urged anyone with information on similar instances in Southern California to call their local law enforcement agency or Burbank Police Department.
Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center and Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital told KTLA that Porter was in a probationary phase of her employment and was supervised by a qualified training nurse during her time.
Officials from both hospitals said it quickly became apparent that Porter’s care while she fraudulently obtained brief employment at their facilities was insufficient for what was expected of a registered nurse.
Both hospitals said they informed any patients she cared for about the incident.
Detectives told the LA Times that Porter is also on federal probation for a fraud violation in Virginia.
According to the US Department of Justice, a woman named Amanda Porter-Eley, matching the suspect’s age and also referred to as “Amanda L. Porter” in court filings, pleaded guilty to impersonating a nurse and committing bank fraud in Virginia in 2017.
Prosecutors said Porter-Eley was using the identity of a nurse living in New York to gain employment at a Virginia Hospital in September 2015.
She was found guilty of working as a nursing supervisor without the required licenses at that hospital for six months before she was fired.
Porter-Eley continued using the real nurse’s identity until her arrest in September 2016, causing over $120,000 in losses to banks and retailers.
During that time, she fraudulently opened multiple bank accounts and obtained over $450,000 in cash, loans, goods, and services, including at least three vehicles and a property under the stolen nurse’s identity.
Porter-Eley also pleaded guilty to opening bank accounts using other people’s Social Security numbers, where prosecutors found she obtained nearly $50,000 in worthless checks.
According to the LA Times, the Burbank Police Department did not confirm whether Amanda Leeann Porter and Amanda Porter-Eley are the same person as the investigation is ongoing.
