Ohio Man Pretended To Be Nurse, Worked With Kids: Prosecutors

COLUMBUS, OH — An Ohio man has pleaded guilty to using a stolen identity to pretend to be a nurse for four years.

The man's patients included several children, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced.

Martez Rhandell Morris, 28, pleaded guilty this week to identity fraud, tampering with public records, Medicaid fraud and practicing nursing without a license. Morris stole the identity of a nurse and forged documents to get a job as a licensed practical nurse, Yost said.

“It’s a special kind of abuse to play pretend nurse to a kid who needs serious care,” Yost said. “The abuse of trust is even worse than the fraud — and I hope the judge takes that into account at sentencing.”

While working as a nurse, Morris provided care for several children and a disabled adult, prosecutors said. One of his patients was a 20-month-old child whom Morris gave breathing treatments, administered medication and cleaned the child's feeding tube.

Law enforcement discovered the fraud in 2019 and confronted Morris, Yost said. The faux nurse initially denied the allegations, court documents said, but after 40 minutes of questioning he confessed to stealing a nurse's identity.

Morris spent eight months in jail after his arrest in 2019, but he then posted a $200,000 bond. His sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 17.