GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A Michigan woman was sentenced Monday to more than six years in federal prison after repeatedly posing as a licensed registered nurse and working at health care facilities using falsified credentials, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan.

Leticia Gallarzo, 51, formerly of Wayland, was sentenced to 75 months in prison after pleading guilty to fraud and aggravated identity theft. Federal prosecutors said Gallarzo used false medical records and assumed the identity of a licensed nurse to obtain employment.

According to court records, Gallarzo worked as a registered nurse at a nursing home in western Michigan between August 2022 and May 2023 after securing the position through an online job platform. Prosecutors said she created a fake nursing license, diploma, and identification documents to represent herself as a licensed nurse in Michigan.

After being hired, Gallarzo was promoted to a unit manager role, where she supervised other health care staff, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Prosecutors said she performed patient assessments, administered medication, and carried out other nursing duties. As concerns arose about her performance, the facility demoted her, and she later sought employment elsewhere.

Authorities said a prospective employer discovered Gallarzo’s true identity and reported the matter to law enforcement.

Gallarzo was charged in September 2023 and pleaded guilty the following month. Prosecutors said that while awaiting sentencing, she left the jurisdiction and again obtained employment by misrepresenting herself as a medical professional in Illinois and California. She was later arrested near Los Angeles and returned to Michigan for sentencing.

Court records indicate the case marked Gallarzo’s third conviction for impersonating a licensed nurse. She was previously convicted in Kent County in 2016 and later by federal authorities in Texas in 2017 for similar conduct.

The case was announced by Timothy VerHey and investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Prosecutors said the investigation did not uncover evidence of patients being physically harmed.

An indictment and conviction are matters of public record. Gallarzo will serve her sentence in federal custody.