The Pennsylvania State Police is asking healthcare corporations to evaluation their employment information because it investigates a lady who allegedly used at the very least 10 aliases to pose as a nurse for 5 years.
Shannon Nicole Womack, 39, allegedly used the aliases to pose as a licensed sensible nurse, a registered nurse, and a registered nurse supervisor at rehabilitation and nursing properties throughout the state, in accordance with a police press launch.
She is going through a number of costs, together with corrupt organizations, endangering the welfare of care, illegal use of a pc, id theft, forgery, theft by illegal taking, and a number of different costs, state police mentioned.
“She is charged with securing the nursing positions by means of staffing companies by submitting fraudulently signed paperwork and likewise by making a false LLC to deploy herself to jobs. Stories point out Womack labored at every of those jobs for under a short while,” state police mentioned.
If any of her aliases match employment information, the services are requested to name the state police.
Investigators confirmed that a number of the names she used have been Shannon Nicole Parham, Shannon Nicole Abiola, Shannon Nicole Armstrong, Shannon Abiola-Parham, Shannon Nicole Grimes, Shannon Nicole Lawson, Shannon Nicole Lethco, Shannon Nicole Robinson, Shannon Lee Lawson, and Shannon Nicole Womack.
It’s unclear whether or not she has retained an legal professional.
The Bureau of Legal Investigation started investigating Womack in April after a routine visitors cease in Pittsburgh, throughout which they declare she introduced a faux ID, in accordance with the felony criticism. Police say her automobile was registered in Georgia, however the registration had expired.
Contained in the automobile, troopers say they discovered a number of types of ID, prescription drugs from totally different nursing services that have been prescribed to residents, medical paperwork, affected person logs and medical tools, in accordance with the criticism.
Womack had a number of warrants in a number of states associated to fraud and impersonating a nurse, in accordance with state troopers.
Authorities allege she used the identities of 4 actual healthcare staff from a number of southern states to acquire employment in Pennsylvania, Connecticut, New Jersey, Indiana, Tennessee, and Georgia. A possible trigger affidavit states that she will not be a licensed medical skilled in any state.
She was additionally listed on the Georgia “Nursing Imposter Alerts” web site, in accordance with the affidavit. The State’s Legal professional Common issued a stop and desist order, however couldn’t find her.
In Pennsylvania, 9 employers had positioned Womack on “Do Not Retain” standing because of skilled misconduct earlier than her arrest, in accordance with investigators.
Authorities alleged that seven Social Safety numbers have been linked to Womack and accused her of utilizing faux references to safe jobs and making a phony staffing company to funnel work to herself.
“She was going by means of correct host company channels after which created her personal, as like her personal faux secretary, answering the telephone name, giving it to herself,” Pennsylvania State Trooper Rocco Gagliardi mentioned at a Monday information convention. “She put numerous effort and time to get accredited from these totally different companies.”
Throughout a short stint at Southmont of Presbyterian Senior Care in Washington County, Pennsylvania, Womack allegedly diverted oxycodone capsules meant for residents, in accordance with a felony criticism. Investigators said that she was answerable for the medical cart throughout her shift and didn’t distribute medicine to residents.
“5 residents have been affected by mentioned acts as over 120 oxycodone 5mg capsules have been lacking,” the affidavit reads.
Womack allegedly labored on the facility in March for one shift earlier than being positioned on “don’t retain” standing because of skilled misconduct, in accordance with the affidavit.
“It is a vile act or acts, I ought to say, not solely benefiting from older residents on this approach,” Washington County District Legal professional Jason Walsh mentioned at a information convention.
Police mentioned the scheme dates again to the early days of the COVID pandemic when the necessity for nursing employees was vital.
“It wasn’t unusual for these totally different residence places, companies to succeed in out to host companies and say, we want some additional shifts stuffed,” mentioned Gagliardi. “That began in 2020 and it was such a straightforward transition. She simply stored going after that.”
