Two former nurses at the Oklahoma City Veterans Affairs Medical Center have been sentenced to federal prison for making false statements to Department of Veterans Affairs authorities about care provided to a patient prior to the patient’s death, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester. On September 6, 2022, a federal grand jury returned a three-count Indictment against Nina Nguyen, 27, and Andrewe Steven Hansen, 31, both of Oklahoma City, for making false statements to the Veterans Affairs (VA) Police Service and to investigators with the VA Office of Inspector General, following the death of a patient. According to the Indictment, both Nguyen and Hansen claimed they did not pause medication being administered to the patient prior to the patient’s death, when they both knew they did pause medication.
On March 6, 2023, Nguyen pleaded guilty to making a false statement to a VA investigator on May 10, 2021, following the death of a patient at a VA hospital in Oklahoma City. At Nguyen’s sentencing hearing on November 27, 2023, U.S. District Judge David L. Russell sentenced Nguyen to serve six months in federal prison, followed by one year of supervised release. In announcing the sentence, Judge Russell noted the circumstances of the offense and ordered Nguyen to self-surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on January 2, 2024. On March 25, 2023, Hansen pleaded guilty to making a false statement to a VA investigator. At Hansen’s sentencing on December 11, 2023, Judge Russell sentenced Hansen to serve three months in federal prison, followed by one year of supervised release. In announcing the sentence, Judge Russell noted the nature and circumstances of the offense and Hansen’s history and characteristics. Judge Russell ordered Hansen to self-surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on January 5, 2024.