Nicholas J. Ganjei United States Attorney for the Southern District of Texas | U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas
A former nurse at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Houston has been indicted for allegedly falsifying government records. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei following the unsealing of an indictment returned on May 7.
The accused, Christiana Ogbonnaya, a 54-year-old resident of Richmond, was charged with making false entries in the VA’s Computerized Patient Record System while on duty from July 26-27, 2024. The indictment claims that Ogbonnaya falsely documented that she had checked on a male patient multiple times during her shift when she had not done so.
According to the charges, medical personnel discovered the patient unresponsive early on July 27 and later pronounced him deceased.
If found guilty, Ogbonnaya could face up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
The investigation was conducted by the VA-Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly Zenón-Matos is handling the prosecution.
It is important to note that an indictment is merely an accusation and not proof of guilt. A defendant remains innocent until proven guilty through due legal process.
