Arkansas Woman Indicted for Identity Theft and Impersonating a Registered Nurse in Tennessee as Part of the National Health Care Fraud Takedown

Memphis, TN - Today, United States Attorney D. Michael Dunavant announced criminal charges against a defendant in connection with an alleged scheme to defraud multiple healthcare agencies. The charges filed in federal court are part of the Department of Justice's 2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown. The charges stem from a multi-year scheme to impersonate a licensed registered nurse, identity theft, and wire fraud.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Eliminating fraud by medical personnel and others who misuse their positions of trust to blatantly disregard and endanger the lives of others for their own financial gain is a top priority for this administration. We thank our federal agency partners for their diligent and thorough investigations to root out healthcare fraud, and we stand ready to hold offenders accountable for their crimes of dishonesty."

The charges announced today by U.S. Attorney Dunavant are part of a strategically coordinated, nationwide law enforcement action that resulted in charges against 455 defendants, including 90 doctors and other licensed medical professionals, for their alleged participation in health care fraud and opioid abuse schemes involving over $6.5 billion in false claims and significant patient harm, including death. Today's Takedown represents a new era in federal, state, and international cooperation to combat health care fraud: cases in 56 federal districts and 45 U.S. states and territories, with 50 state Medicaid Fraud Control Units participating, the most in Department history. In addition, unprecedented international cooperation over the two-week Takedown resulted in the apprehension and return to the United States of the following health care fraudsters: one defendant in Kyrenia in connection with an over $3.7 billion scheme; two defendants in Estonia in connection with a previously charged $10.6 billion scheme; and, in the Philippines, one of FBI's Most Wanted Fraudsters in connection with a previously-charged $1.2 billion telemedicine fraud scheme. The Takedown involves the cutting-edge use of data analytics to target the worst actors; the seizure of over $182 million in cash, luxury vehicles, jewelry, and other assets; and full-spectrum accountability for all criminal actors from doctor's offices to corporate boardrooms.

Today's coordinated enforcement action involves a whole-of-government approach, including:

• Actions by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to suspend 1,079 providers and revoke billing privileges for 1,403 providers.
• 48 Civil Monetary Payment settlements amounting to over $73 million, over 1,400 provider exclusions, and 25 actions by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General ("HHS-OIG") under the Civil Monetary Penalties Law seeking more than $10 billion in payments to the Medicare Trust Fund from payments that CMS caught and suspended before the funds were paid to the fraudulent providers.
• Civil charges against 13 defendants for $14.8 million in health care fraud schemes, as well as civil settlements with 31 defendants totaling $23 million.
• 928 administrative cases by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) seeking the revocation of authority to handle and/or prescribe controlled substances since October 1, 2025.

In the Western District of Tennessee, Heather May Wilbanks Greene, 40, of Lepanto, Arkansas, was charged with two counts of identity theft and one count of wire fraud for allegedly engaging in a multi-year scheme to impersonate a registered nurse and obtain employment across Tennessee and Arkansas.

As alleged in the indictment, from September 2020 through October 2023, Greene practiced as a registered nurse using the stolen license numbers of two registered nurses in Tennessee. Greene never completed nursing school, never passed the NCLEX-RN (National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses), and was never licensed as a registered nurse. Despite this, Greene submitted false resumes misrepresenting her education, experience, and licensure status to obtain employment at more than 30 different health care facilities including nursing homes and correctional institutions. While employed, Greene allegedly performed duties reserved for licensed nurses, such as providing medical treatment, administering medications, accessing confidential medical information, and evaluating patient conditions. As a result of the fraud, Greene received $200,000 in wages and compensation to which she was not legally entitled. If convicted on all charges, Greene faces up to 20 years in federal prison, up to $250,000 in fines, or both, a special assessment fee of $100, and three years of supervised release. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Raney Irwin of the Western District of Tennessee.

The cases are being prosecuted by the Health Care Fraud Unit's National Rapid Response, Florida, Gulf Coast, Los Angeles, Midwest, New England, Northeast, Texas, and West Coast Strike Forces; U.S. Attorneys' Offices for the Middle District of Alabama, District of Arizona, Central District of California, Southern District of California, District of Colorado, District of Connecticut, District of Delaware, Middle District of Florida, Northern District of Florida, Southern District of Florida, Northern District of Georgia, District of Hawaii, District of Idaho, Northern District of Illinois, Northern District of Iowa, Southern District of Iowa, Western District of Kentucky, Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, District of Massachusetts, Eastern District of Michigan, Southern District of Mississippi, District of Montana, District of Nebraska, District of New Hampshire, District of New Jersey, District of New Mexico, Eastern District of New York, Northern District of New York, Southern District of New York, Eastern District of North Carolina, Middle District of North Carolina, Western District of North Carolina, Northern District of Ohio, Northern District of Oklahoma, Western District of Oklahoma, District of Oregon, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Middle District of Pennsylvania, Western District of Pennsylvania, District of Puerto Rico, District of Rhode Island, District of South Carolina, District of South Dakota, Middle District of Tennessee, Western District of Tennessee, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, District of Vermont, Eastern District of Virginia, Western District of Virginia, Northern District of West Virginia, Southern District of West Virginia, Eastern District of Wisconsin, and Western District of Wisconsin; and State Attorneys General's Offices, through their MFCUs, in Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virgin Islands, Washington, Wisconsin, and West Virginia. In addition, the MFCUs for Alabama, North Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, and Virginia participated in the investigation of federal cases announced today.

Descriptions of each case involved in today's enforcement action are available on the Department's website hereLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link..

The Western District of Tennessee, in particular, worked with the Department's Health Care Fraud Unit of the Fraud Division and the following law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute the cases filed during the Takedown: the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI).

On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division ("Fraud Division"). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department's work to combat fraud supports President Trump's Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.

An indictment, information, or complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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