My name is Esther Pino, I’m Elizabeth Hernandez, mother. My daughter a hardworking nurse practitioner and devoted mother of five, had dedicated her life to caring for others. She was recruited by a well-known telemedicine recruiter, a move that seemed like a promising opportunity to further her career. But unknown to her, the company she worked for was involved in a massive Medicare fraud scheme. They altered her medical orders, resold them, and even shared her National Provider Identifier (NPI) number, committing fraudulent acts in her name without her knowledge.
When the fraud came to light, Elizabeth was blindsided. She had always acted with integrity and maintained her innocence, but the federal government, led by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the FBI, accused her of being part of the scheme. Despite her lack of involvement, Elizabeth was offered a plea deal, one that would require her to admit she knowingly participated in the fraud. For Elizabeth, this was an impossible decision—she could not lie about her innocence. So, with the strength of her convictions, she chose to go to trial.
The trial was brutal. The prosecutors painted a completely distorted picture of who Elizabeth was and what had happened. They created a narrative that bore little resemblance to the truth, but the system worked against her. Elizabeth lost the trial and was handed the maximum sentence—20 years in federal prison, an incomprehensible punishment for someone who had never committed a crime.
As if the harsh sentence wasn’t enough, the DOJ is now trying to take away her home, claiming it was bought with illegal funds from the scheme. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Elizabeth had worked other jobs to support herself, and she had received both a divorce settlement and an inheritance that she used to purchase the house. But the government is refusing to acknowledge these facts. They are demanding $800,000 for Elizabeth’s family to keep their home—a home where her children, including her 4- and 7-year-olds, have already lost so much.
The family is now appealing her case, fighting not only for her freedom but for the life they’ve built together. Elizabeth’s children are growing up without their mother, her family is being torn apart, and all because of a system that refuses to see the truth. This fight is about more than just clearing Elizabeth’s name—it’s about justice, and a mother’s right to be with her children.