San Benito Man Heads to Prison for Posing as Licensed Vocational Nurse
McALLEN, Texas ‐ A San Benito man has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction of aggravated identity theft, announced U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson. Juan Manuel Perez, 36, pleaded guilty Nov. 3, 2016.
Today, U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez handed Perez a mandatory 24-month sentence imprisonment in connection with his misappropriation of the identity of a Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) of the same name. In handing down the sentence, Alvarez noted that Perez’s misappropriation of the LVN’s identity had denied patients the right to receive health care from a licensed professional.
In December 2014, Perez obtained employment with Cleveland Health Care LLC in McAllen, claiming to be an LVN. The license number presented by Perez, however, belonged to another individual of the same name. Perez is not licensed by the Texas Board of Nursing and is not an LVN.
Perez, posing as the LVN, conducted patient home visits and provided medical services from December 2015 through July 2016 while employed with Cleveland Health Care.
Previously released on bond, Perez was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Department of Health and Human Services‐Office of Inspector General, FBI and the Health and Human Services Commission conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Swartz and Michael Day are prosecuting the case.