A 35-year-old Laredo resident has been charged for making false statements related to healthcare matters and aggravated identity theft, announced US Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Law enforcement took Nora Nely Avila into custody on September 11, 2023. The three-count indictment, returned Sept. 6, alleges Avila impersonated a nurse from January 2017 through December 2019 and performed work she was not qualified to do at multiple home health companies in the Laredo area. The patients and healthcare providers were part of the federally-funded Medicaid and Medicare programs, according to the charges. Avila is also alleged to have obtained employment as nurse trainer in the federally-funded Job Corps program and was assigned to train future nurses. If convicted, Avila faces up to five years in federal prison as well as a possible $250,000 maximum fine for each of the false statements charges. She faces an additional two years in prison for aggravated identity theft which must be served consecutively to any other prison term imposed.
