Imposter Nurse Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison

A Canadian woman who impersonated a nurse and provided care to hundreds of patients in British Columbia has been handed a seven-year prison sentence. Brigitte Cleroux admitted guilt in July to charges of assaulting patients via IV injection while falsely presenting herself as a nurse. This was not Cleroux’s initial instance of practicing as a nurse without the necessary medical qualifications. The sentencing on Tuesday concludes her decades-long involvement with the legal system, frequently as a repeat imposter, having been found guilty of fraud and similar offenses throughout Canada and in the US. During the sentencing hearing, which commenced on Monday, testimonies were heard from former patients, some of whom articulated that discovering the deception eroded their trust in the healthcare system. Cleroux, currently in her early 50s, used several false identities, such as Brigitte Marier, Brigitte Fournier, Melanie Cleroux, Melanie Gauthier, Melanie Thompson, and Melanie Smith, as stated by the College of Nurses of Ontario. She secured employment as a nurse at the BC Women’s Hospital in June 2020, utilizing a fabricated name, resume, and references. Her employment continued until June 2021, at which point she was put on leave subsequent to complaints. Court documents indicate that she participated in the direct and indirect care of hundreds of patients who visited the facility for gynaecological surgical procedures. The Provincial Health Services Authority is currently subject to a class-action lawsuit initiated by some of these patients. The PHSA has declined to comment on the issue, citing that it is an ongoing legal matter. Additionally, Cleroux was employed for a short period at the View Royal Surgical Centre in Victoria, BC. Court documents reveal that her history of impersonating a nurse extends back to at least 2011, in Alberta. She also misrepresented herself as a legitimate professional in Ottawa in 2017, and in 2021, she employed counterfeit nursing credentials, a falsified resume, and a fictitious name to obtain positions at two medical clinics in that city, where she administered injections and medication. One of these was a fertility clinic where she attended to eight patients; she resigned suddenly from this role after a nurse challenged her methods of providing care. Law enforcement initiated an investigation into Cleroux after her colleague attempted to lodge a complaint with the nurse’s college, which subsequently identified Cleroux’s fraudulent identity. She secured alternative employment at a dental office but was apprehended a short time later. Cleroux had previously been convicted and sentenced for her perilous deception, with an Ontario court in 2022 imposing a seven-year prison term after she admitted guilt to offenses such as personation, fraud, assault, and assault with a weapon. The sentence handed down on Friday will effectively extend her incarceration by four years, in addition to the time for the Ontario charges. In total, Cleroux possesses a comprehensive adult criminal record comprising 67 convictions, including some in Florida, primarily for fraud, theft, and impersonation. The motivation behind Cleroux’s decision to impersonate a nurse for at least ten years throughout North America remains unknown. An arrest affidavit indicates that Cleroux is also sought in the US state of Colorado for forgery and impersonation, related to a case from 2001. It is alleged that she submitted fraudulent credentials to gain employment as a registered nurse in Colorado Springs. Although she received some nursing training, she never completed a degree.