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A woman has been arrested on suspicion of impersonating a registered nurse to oversee the care of about 60 patients at a Burbank hospital, authorities said.
Burbank police detectives said this is not the first time Amanda LeeAnn Porter, 44, of Virginia, has pretended to be a nurse.
Prior to the incident at Providence St. Joseph Medical Center, Porter posted bond for a similar crime at Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital in Santa Clarita, according to the Burbank Police Department, and was arrested at the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Office. He was reportedly released from bureau custody.
Burbank police detectives said they learned during the investigation that Porter had obtained employment at various local hospitals using various false identities.
On Tuesday, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office filed felony charges of identity theft and grand theft against Porter, according to Burbank police.
She was arraigned Wednesday and is being held at the Los Angeles County Central Regional Detention Center in Lynwood, this time without bail, detectives said.
Detectives said Porter worked at Providence St. Joseph from April 8 to May 8, during which time he received two paychecks. Detectives said hospital staff called police in May after they noticed Porter was impersonating a real nurse who lived out of state.
Detectives said Porter is on federal probation for a fraud violation in Virginia.
In 2017, a woman named Amanda Porter Ely pleaded guilty in Virginia to committing bank fraud by impersonating a nurse, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
The Burbank Police Department has not confirmed whether Amanda LeeAnn Porter and Amanda Porter Ely are the same person, citing the ongoing investigation. However, their ages match, and previous court filings also list Amanda Porter Ely’s name as Amanda L. Porter.
Porter Ely was convicted in Virginia of impersonating a registered nurse and working as a nursing supervisor for six months without the required license, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Prosecutors said the nurse who impersonated her was living out of state in New York at the time.
Starting in early September 2015, Porter Ely used the nurse’s stolen identity to open multiple bank accounts and collect over $450,000 in assets, including at least three vehicles and one property, according to the Department of Justice. They allegedly obtained cash, loans, goods and services worth more than $1,000. She continued to use false identities until her arrest in 2016, causing losses to banks and retailers of more than $120,000.
Porter Ely also pleaded guilty to using another person’s Social Security number to open a bank account and thereby obtaining nearly $50,000 in worthless checks, according to the Department of Justice.
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