Woman charged with stealing nurses' IDs to work for NM hospice providers

A Valencia County woman was indicted this week for allegedly using stolen nursing credentials to illegally provide care for hospice patients, the New Mexico Department of Justice said Thursday.

In one case, April Guadalupe Hernandez allegedly miswrote a medication order that nearly led to the administration of a fatal dose of morphine to a patient, the agency said in a statement.

Hernandez, 26, was indicted on 19 criminal counts including nursing without a license, identity theft, fraud and other charges, according to the indictment.

Hernandez, a certified nurse assistant, allegedly stole the identities of out-of-state nurses to gain employment with three New Mexico hospice providers from August 2024 to June 2025, the indictment said.

Attempts to reach Hernandez on Thursday were unsuccessful. Court records indicate she is represented by the Law Offices of the Public Defender, but the agency had no record of representing Hernandez, a spokeswoman said.

“To exploit trusting patients in their most vulnerable moments is unconscionable,” Attorney General Raúl Torrez said in the statement. “These charges send a clear message: the New Mexico Department of Justice will not tolerate those who endanger the safety of patients or betray the trust of our health care system.”

Hernandez was indicted Monday by a 2nd Judicial District Court grand jury. She is scheduled for arraignment Sept. 8 before Judge Britt Baca.

Hernandez is charged with three felony counts of identity theft for allegedly stealing the identities of two registered nurses from California and Texas and a licensed practical nurse from Kansas, the indictment said.

She also is charged with three felony counts of fraud for using false nursing credentials to obtain employment with New Mexico hospice providers that collectively paid her $40,000, the Department of Justice said. She is also charged with three felony counts of falsification of Medicaid documents.

Hernandez was employed by Luna Del Valle Healthcare Services, Lily Care of New Mexico and Hospice De La Luz, which hired her based on the fraudulent licenses, the indictment said. Lily Care of New Mexico and Hospice De La Luz declined comment or did not immediately respond Thursday to requests for comment.

Luna Del Valle Healthcare Services, in a statement Thursday, said it takes the charges leveled against Hernandez “extremely seriously.”

“Patient safety and regulatory compliance are our highest priorities, and we are deeply concerned by these allegations,” according to the statement.

Hernandez was hired in August 2024 with a nursing license verified as being active in Kansas. In December 2024, concerns that Hernandez had not switched over her license led to an internal investigation – which led to her being removed from “all patient care.”

“The appropriate documentation and behavior became increasingly suspicious over the following days, including abruptly resigning from her position rather than providing the required documentation,” according to the statement.

The company said it has “reviewed and enhanced” license verification “to ensure this type of situation cannot occur again.”