A Florida man was arrested after authorities say he stole a roommate’s nursing credentials and used them to apply for more than a dozen nursing jobs, including two brief employments, Volusia County officials said.
Joseph Thomas Kinney, 55, was taken into custody after a hiring manager at Ridgecrest Health and Rehab Center in DeLand flagged his application as suspicious, the Volusia Sheriff’s Office said. Kinney has been charged with two felony counts of practicing health care without a license and remained in the Volusia County Jail on Tuesday with bond set at $20,000.
According to the sheriff’s office, Kinney had his Florida nursing license revoked in 2022 but continued to seek work in health care by submitting applications that used the name and credentials of a registered nurse housemate identified only as Douglas. The Ridgecrest hiring manager said Kinney arrived for an interview wearing makeup and a toupee, provided a driver’s license in Douglas’s name and appeared flustered, giving an age that did not match the identification.
Volusia Sheriff Mike Chitwood, who has been publicly vocal about health-care fraud, arranged a sting after the hiring manager reported the encounter. Posing as a hiring coordinator, Chitwood said he scheduled a follow-up interview; when Kinney arrived, multiple officers were waiting and took him into custody. Video released by the sheriff’s office shows Kinney surrounded by officers asking, “What’d I do?”
The sheriff’s office said Kinney applied for roughly 10 to 15 positions using the stolen credentials and was briefly employed by two facilities for less than a week in each role before being removed. The Office of the Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services assisted the Volusia Sheriff’s Office with the arrest and will continue to be involved in the follow-up investigation, authorities said.
Public records and disciplinary histories reviewed by investigators indicate Kinney previously held nursing licenses in Alabama, California and Florida and was disciplined for repeated incidents that the sheriff’s office listed as including diverting drugs from his employer, driving under the influence of drugs, providing false information and unprofessional conduct. Local records also show prior arrests involving possession of controlled substances, including carisoprodol and diazepam.
Court filings indicate Kinney has had prior felony and violent convictions in California, though those convictions were later expunged by the state, according to statements cited in the arrest report. Details of some past incidents in California were not immediately available in public records.
Florida and federal health authorities maintain registries and disciplinary records intended to prevent individuals who have had licenses revoked or suspended from practicing. Nursing and long-term care facilities commonly verify licensure and background checks before hiring; the Ridgecrest hiring manager’s diligence in this case prompted the sheriff’s office’s involvement.
Kinney appeared in court following his arrest and was formally charged with two felony counts of practicing health care without a license. If convicted, penalties for that offense in Florida can include prison time and fines, but prosecutors and defense attorneys had not made sentencing or plea details public as of Tuesday night.
The Volusia Sheriff’s Office said its investigation remains active and that it will continue to work with the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General to determine the full scope of the alleged fraud and whether additional charges or victims will be identified.