GILROY – On June 26, 2017, California Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) investigators arrested Jeremy Daniel Griffin, of West Hollywood, on suspicion of identity theft after he was found impersonating a registered nurse.

Griffin was scheduled to begin working as a registered nurse at Saint Louise Regional Hospital in Gilroy on June 26. He was hired after using the name of a real registered nurse. During the hiring process, he allegedly presented falsified documents in the real registered nurse’s name to Aya Healthcare, a travel nursing company. Aya Healthcare became suspicious after reviewing the documents. Griffin was interviewed by DCA Division of Investigation investigators after he arrived at the facility for his shift. At that time, his true identity was learned. Griffin does not hold a license as a registered nurse in California. He previously held a license as a licensed vocational nurse.

This is not the first time Griffin has misrepresented himself. In 2014, the Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians revoked Griffin’s license because of his criminal convictions for receiving stolen property and burglary. The burglary conviction stemmed from a case in which Griffin allegedly used the identity of a registered nurse to gain employment at a medical facility in Marina Del Rey, where he then stole property belonging to a doctor at that facility. Griffin initially faced charges that included identity theft and false personation, but he ultimately pleaded no contest to one felony count of burglary in Los Angeles Superior Court.

“This type of criminal behavior puts the health of patients at extreme risk,” said California Statewide Law Enforcement Association  (CSLEA) President Alan Barcelona.   “Kudos to the agency and hospital that conducted the background check and immediately called DCA investigators about their suspicions.  DCA’s Division of Investigation has sworn peace officer investigators whose job it is to investigate criminal activity that hurts consumers, patients, and the public.  They often work under the radar and rarely get the consumer protection and public safety recognition they deserve.”

Investigators believe that there may be more victims of Griffin’s identity theft and false personation in the communities between Santa Clara and Los Angeles counties. If you suspect that you may be a victim of these crimes, or if you believe that you previously hired Griffin, please contact Lead Investigator Rod Spaulding at the Division of Investigation’s Central Valley Field Office at (559) 244-5658.

Investigator Spaulding is a member of CSLEA and its affiliate, California Association of Criminal Investigators (CACI).