Attorney General Kathy Jennings announced the conviction of Nicole L. Vanhorn, a Delaware woman who fraudulently claimed to be a Registered Nurse to secure employment in nursing homes. Vanhorn, 38, pleaded guilty on March 26, 2025, to felony charges of Identity Theft and Theft by False Pretense, as well as misdemeanor charges related to offering falsified documents and practicing as a nurse without a license.
Attorney General Jennings emphasized the seriousness of the offense: “Registered Nurses dedicate years of their lives obtaining and maintaining the skills necessary to provide quality care to patients. Anyone falsely holding themselves out as a healthcare professional will face swift action from the Delaware Department of Justice.”
Between March 2023 and September 2023, Vanhorn presented herself as a licensed RN to potential employers in Delaware. In June 2023, she used fraudulent educational and licensing credentials to gain conditional employment at a long-term care facility, following which she attempted to obtain a Delaware RN license using the identity of a Pennsylvania nurse. Vanhorn's fraudulent activities continued until she was caught by the Delaware Division of Professional Regulation.
The Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU), part of the Delaware Department of Justice’s Fraud & Consumer Protection Division, investigated the case, leading to her conviction. Vanhorn received a 10-year prison sentence suspended for one year of supervised probation, a $500 fine, and was ordered to pay restitution. Her conviction will be reported to the National Practitioner Data Bank and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General.
The MFCU receives 75% of its funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, with a grant award totaling $2,115,488.00 for the Federal fiscal year 2025. The remaining 25%, amounting to $705,162.00, is funded by the State of Delaware.