Westchester Woman Accused Of Using Fake Credentials To Work As Physical Therapist At Hospital: DA

YONKERS, NY — A Westchester woman is accused of creating fake credentials to get a physical therapy job at a Brooklyn hospital.

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, and New York City Department of Investigation Commissioner Nadia I. Shihata, announced that 36-year-old Diamond Walker, of Yonkers, has been arraigned on an indictment charging her with identity theft for using a fraudulent physical therapy license, and forged academic credentials to obtain employment at Kings County Hospital despite not being licensed to practice in New York state.

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"Patients place enormous trust in the healthcare professionals who treat them, and they deserve to know those professionals are properly trained and licensed," Gonzalez said. "This defendant allegedly used someone else's license number and forged academic credentials to secure a job as a physical therapist at a public hospital, potentially putting patients at risk and betraying that fundamental trust. We will aggressively pursue those who use fraud to gain positions of responsibility in our healthcare system, and I thank the Department of Investigation for its partnership in this case."

Walker was arraigned in Brooklyn Supreme Court on an indictment in which she is charged with first-degree identity theft, second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument, first-degree offering a false instrument for filing, and first-degree falsifying business records. She was released without bail and ordered to return to court on Dec. 9.

The DA said that, according to the investigation, Walker was hired as a physical therapist at Kings County Hospital on March 11, 2024, after submitting an employment application in which she claimed to be a licensed physical therapist in New York state. She also claimed to have earned a doctorate in physical therapy from Columbia University and a master's degree in athletic training from Long Island University, according to the allegations.

Walker, however, was not licensed to practice physical therapy in New York state, had never attended Columbia University, and had not graduated from Long Island University, according to the district attorney. To support her application, Walker submitted a fake physical therapy license bearing another person's license number, a fabricated diploma from Columbia University, and a forged document purporting to be from Kings County Family Court regarding a name change, according to court records.

Walker's employment was terminated on Feb. 5, following an investigation, officials said.

"New York requires physical therapists to be licensed to protect the public and ensure clinical competence," Commissioner Shihata said. "As charged, this defendant allegedly submitted fraudulent documents claiming to be a licensed physical therapist in New York State, have a doctorate in physical therapy from Columbia University, and a master's degree from Long Island University. These alleged fabrications allowed her to obtain employment at Kings County Hospital. DOI will be making recommendations to strengthen Kings County Hospital's hiring and employee background process. I thank the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office for their partnership and commitment to upholding the highest standards for healthcare workers and NYC Health + Hospitals for its assistance in the investigation."