ATLANTA — A Henry County man accused of impersonating a nurse remained behind bars Monday evening after investigators say he tried to get a job at an Atlanta nursing facility.
Lonnie Robert Williams, 56, of Stockbridge was arrested Friday and jailed on one misdemeanor count of unlawful practice as registered professional nurse, according to Fulton County Jail records.
He’s one of many on a state registry that keeps track of impostors.
“He could have over medicated someone,” said Yvette Wells, who serves as the director of nursing at Legacy Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. “He could have not known the difference between a blood pressure pill and a pain medication.”
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Investigators told Channel 2’s Michael Seiden that 56-year-old Lonnie Williams applied for a job at the Auburn Avenue medical facility late last month. They praised the staff at the nursing home for doing the right thing.
“We work hard to earn our degrees and our certifications and our training,” Wells said. “And for someone else to pretend like they’re one of us, it’s kind of a slap in the face.”
Officials said Williams applied and then came in for his in-person interview. At first glance, he appeared to be the perfect candidate.
“He was eager to work here,” said Jozell Simmons with Legacy Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. “He wanted to come in as a nurse manager, a supervisor. He let me know that he had had experience as a unit manager and a supervisor.”
But the day before his interview, a staff member shared the statewide list of “nursing imposters” with the human resources department.
According to the Georgia secretary of state’s office, Lonnie Williams also goes by the name Lonnie Releford.
Investigators said he has been using the license of a real nurse to work in medical facilities across the state.
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