A former nurse at the veterans affairs medical center in Houston was arrested over allegations that she filed false records in a government database about a patient who died during her shift.
54-year-old Christiana Ogbonnaya allegedly made false claims in the medical center’s computerized patient record system, stating that she checked on the patient several times during her overnight shift. According to the charges, however, she checked on the patient only once, nearly eight hours before he was found dead with a phone charging cable wrapped around his neck and a compression sock in his mouth, according to court documents.
The indictment alleges Ogbonnaya was responsible for three patients during her shift from 7:30 p.m. on July 26 to 8 a.m. July 27. Medical personnel discovered the man just after 4:30 a.m. next to a hospital bed, and he was pronounced dead at 5:05 a.m.
A public defender listed for Ogbonnaya did not return a phone call seeking comment. Ogbonnaya is set to appear in court for a pretrial hearing on June 23, according to court documents.
If convicted, she could face up to five years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine, according to the Department of Justice.
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