One of two people accused in connection with a fake nurse scam pleaded guilty in a Kitchener courtroom and has been sentenced to a year behind bars.
Eva Okello, 37, and her common law partner, 28-year-old Paul Matthew, both from the Toronto area, were each accused of fraud in the case.
Okello is also charged with providing care to seniors without qualifications and a number of other counts.
Matthew, who was accused of defrauding a Kitchener retirement home of close to $15,000, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to a year in prison, though he has already served six months.
The court was told in 2011 Matthew got Okello a job through his employment agency at a Kitchener long-term care facility using a false name.
Once there, she posed as a registered nurse with the authority to dispense drugs like morphine.
Okello is also charged with impersonating a nurse at a facility in Mitchell, Ont. and there are allegations she committed similar offences London.
She has already been convicted in cases in Toronto and Hamilton.
Jacob Stilman, Matthew’s defence attorney, says Okello was the driving force in the whole operation.
“Obviously, at some stage Ms. Okello, who I think has to be acknowledged has a history of this conduct, persuaded my client to assist her and facilitate this continued impersonation of a nurse.”
Defence attorney Hal Mattson says progress has been made in her case as well.
“It makes sense for her to deal with all the charges at once and the plan so far is that if the resolution we’ve been offered goes ahead, we just need to get the London charges here and she can be sentenced on all charges in Kitchener.”
The case against Okello is expected to continue in November.
