A woman accused of posing as a nurse to get hired at multiple Las Cruces facilities is facing dozens of felony counts after investigators say her actions put pa
According to the Texas Board of Nursing's Quarterly bulletin, a woman who goes by the name of Margarita Gonzalez or Margarita Gonzales or Margaritta Gonzales, allegedly tried to practice as a Registered Nurse at Mountain View Nursing and Rehabilitation and AVIR at Patriot in El Paso while using license numbers and names belonging to nurses with similar names in February 2025.
Credit: TBON A woman accused of posing as a nurse to get hired at multiple Las Cruces facilities is facing dozens of felony counts after investigators say her actions put patients at risk and included dispensing narcotics to juvenile residents. A Doña Ana County grand jury issued an indictment this week against Margarita Gonzalez after an investigation by the Medicaid Fraud and Elder Abuse Bureau of the New Mexico Department of Justice.
Prosecutors allege Gonzalez assumed the identities of nurses in Texas to gain employment at four Las Cruces nursing facilities and then illegally provided patient care, including an incident in which she nearly administered an incorrect insulin dose that could have caused a serious incident or resulted in death. Gonzalez is charged with 34 counts of misconduct, including identity theft, nursing without a license, abuse of a resident, distribution of controlled substances to a minor and fraud totaling more than $25,000.
“If convicted on all counts, the defendant could face up to 100 years in prison,” the New Mexico Department of Justice said. Impersonating a healthcare provider is a reckless and selfish crime that subjects those most vulnerable to risk of serious injury or death,” Torrez said.
“I will not tolerate those who risk the safety of patients or cause danger and unnecessary confusion within the healthcare system. These charges should keep anyone attempting to pose as a healthcare provider on notice: we will find you, and we will prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law to protect New Mexicans. Investigators said Gonzalez has no nursing license or credentials but allegedly administered injections and dispensed prescribed medications.
The investigation also found she dispensed narcotics to eight juvenile inpatient residents, according to the New Mexico Department of Justice. In the insulin incident, investigators said the error was caught by Gonzalez’s orientating nurse before the dose was administered. Authorities said Gonzalez was terminated by several facilities due to patient safety concerns after displaying what they described as a questionable method of delivering medical care and a lack of knowledge during patient care.
The facilities where she was employed were Village at Northrise, Las Cruces Wellness and Rehabilitation, Peak Behavioral Health and Matrix Home Care. The New Mexico Department of Justice said the facilities paid her compensation based on fraudulent licenses, accounting for a significant portion of the alleged fraudulent total. SAN ANTONIO - A judge set the woman accused of killing her two young children and setting a vehicle on fire bond at $2.1 milion.
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