A woman previously accused of posing as a nurse in Texas and New Mexico has been arrested in El Paso on new Texas fraud warrants, giving the case a fresh turn months after New Mexico prosecutors first announced an indictment.
Margarita Gonzalez, 43, was arrested Thursday by the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office and booked into the Downtown County Jail on more than a dozen health care fraud-related charges, according to KFOX14/CBS4.
Texas investigators identified more than $548,000 in Medicaid overpayments connected to her alleged unlicensed nursing work, the station reported.
Gonzalez has not been convicted. The charges are accusations and have not been proven in court.
The New Arrest Came on Texas Fraud Warrants
KFOX14/CBS4 reported that Gonzalez was booked on charges that included one count of health care fraud greater than $2,500 but less than $30,000; two counts of health care fraud greater than $30,000 but less than $150,000; one count of health care fraud greater than $150,000 but less than $300,000; two counts of health care fraud greater than $300,000; and seven counts of fraudulent use or possession of identifying information involving fewer than five items.
The Texas offense dates range from January 2023 to July 2025, according to court documents cited by the station.
KVIA reported that Gonzalez’s bond totaled $130,000, based on jail records. The station also reported that some charges did not have bond listed.
New Mexico Had Already Accused Her of Using Real Nurses’ Identities
The Texas arrest follows a May indictment in New Mexico. The New Mexico Department of Justice said a Doña Ana County grand jury indicted Gonzalez after an investigation by the Medicaid Fraud and Elder Abuse Bureau.
Prosecutors alleged that Gonzalez assumed the identities of nurses in Texas to gain employment at four Las Cruces facilities: Village at Northrise, Las Cruces Wellness and Rehabilitation, Peak Behavioral Health, and Matrix Home Care.
According to the department, Gonzalez did not have a nursing license or credentials and was accused of illegally providing care to patients.
The New Mexico charges included identity theft, nursing without a license, abuse of a resident, distribution of controlled substances to a minor, and fraud totaling more than $25,000. If convicted on all counts in New Mexico, prosecutors said Gonzalez could face up to 100 years in prison.
Authorities Said an Insulin Error Was Caught Before It Reached a Patient
The New Mexico Department of Justice said the alleged conduct went beyond paperwork and billing.
Investigators alleged that Gonzalez illegally administered injections and dispensed prescribed medications, including narcotics to eight juvenile inpatient residents.
The department also said Gonzalez nearly administered an incorrect insulin dose to a patient, which prosecutors said could have caused a serious incident or death. An orienting nurse caught the error before the dose was given, according to the department.
Authorities said Gonzalez was terminated by several facilities because of patient safety concerns after displaying what investigators described as a questionable method of delivering medical care and a lack of knowledge during patient care.
The Texas Nursing Board Had Issued an Imposter Alert
The Texas Board of Nursing had already issued a 2025 imposter alert involving a woman using the names Margarita Gonzalez, Margarita Gonzales, or Margaritta Gonzales, according to KFOX14/CBS4.
The station reported that the board said she tried to work as a registered nurse at Mountain View Nursing and Rehabilitation and AVIR at Patriot in El Paso while using license numbers and names belonging to nurses with similar names.
The two El Paso facilities flagged the issue after the names, addresses, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers did not match, according to the report.
New Mexico court records show a jury trial for Gonzalez is scheduled for Aug. 23, KVIA reported.
Families Can Check More Than a Name Badge
A name badge, uniform, or facility setting should not be the only proof that someone is licensed to provide care. Patients and families can ask for the caregiver’s full name, role, license type, and supervising provider, especially in nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, behavioral health facilities, home care, and other settings where families may not know every staff member.
The National Council of State Boards of Nursing says consumers can use the free Nursys QuickConfirm tool to look up and verify license information supplied by participating boards of nursing. New Mexico’s Regulation and Licensing Department also offers a license verification portal for consumers and the public.
Families should ask questions if a worker gives only a first name, refuses to provide a license type, gives a license number that does not match the name, or appears on paperwork under a different name than the person providing care.
Billing Records Can Show Care Families Never Saw
Patients and caregivers should review Medicaid, Medicare, insurance, and facility billing statements for visits, care dates, medications, injections, or provider names they do not recognize.
If something looks wrong, families can ask the facility administrator for the staffing record, medication administration record, care notes, and the full name and license type of the person who provided care. They should also save billing statements, discharge papers, medication lists, dates, names, and any messages from the facility.
Suspicious entries should be reported to the facility administrator, the state licensing board, the state Medicaid fraud unit, or local law enforcement. If a family believes a patient received medication, injections, or direct care from someone who was not licensed, they should also ask for the patient’s medical record and speak with the patient’s regular medical provider.