In a shocking turn of events in Volusia County, Florida, a man identified as Joseph Thomas Kinney, aged 55, was arrested on Monday, September 8, 2025, after arriving at a staged job interview for a nursing position. The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office orchestrated a sting operation to apprehend Kinney, who is accused of impersonating a registered nurse by using fraudulent credentials and a stolen identity to apply for multiple nursing jobs across Central Florida. This case has raised serious concerns about vulnerabilities in healthcare hiring processes and the potential risks to patient safety posed by individuals using fake credentials to secure critical medical roles.
The Sting Operation and Arrest
The arrest of Joseph Kinney unfolded at Ridgecrest Health and Rehab Center in DeLand, Florida, where authorities had set up a carefully planned operation to catch him in the act. The investigation began in August 2025 when a vigilant nurse hiring manager at the facility flagged Kinney’s job application as suspicious. According to reports, the manager had previously encountered Kinney in October 2024 at Indigo Manor Nursing and Rehabilitation in Daytona Beach, where he appeared nervous and presented questionable documentation, including an incorrect driver’s license.
Recognizing inconsistencies in his latest application, the hiring manager alerted Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood, prompting a swift response from law enforcement. Detectives from the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office posed as hiring coordinators and contacted Kinney to arrange a job interview. Unaware that he was walking into a trap, Kinney arrived at the designated location—a Volusia AdventHealth facility—on Monday afternoon.
Body-camera footage released by the Sheriff’s Office captured the moment of his arrest. As Kinney approached the entrance, deputies intercepted him, confiscated documents from his hands, and placed him in handcuffs. The footage shows a surprised Kinney asking, “What’d I do?” as officers surrounded him. He was taken into custody without resistance and charged with two felony counts of practicing healthcare without a license.
Authorities revealed that Kinney had been using the stolen identity of a licensed nurse—reportedly his roommate—to apply for 10 to 15 nursing positions across Central Florida. The real nurse, whose credentials Kinney exploited, was someone he lived with at his residence in Lake Mary, Florida. In a bizarre twist, Kinney allegedly appeared at the staged interview wearing makeup and a toupee, possibly to enhance his disguise. The Sheriff’s Office noted that Kinney had successfully secured two short-term nursing roles in Orange and Seminole counties, though he was employed for less than a week at each facility.
Joseph Kinney got arrested during a fake job interview after allegedly posing as a nurse with stolen credentials. pic.twitter.com/xrdCKcYpsz
— Catch Up (@CatchUpFeed) September 10, 2025
It remains unclear whether he was fired due to irregularities in his documentation or if he left voluntarily. The Office of the Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services assisted in Kinney’s arrest and is supporting the ongoing investigation. Kinney is currently being held at Volusia County Jail with a bond set at $20,000, and he is scheduled to appear in court to face the charges against him.
Joseph Kinney’s Troubled Past
Joseph Kinney’s attempt to pass himself off as a licensed nurse was not his first brush with controversy in the healthcare field. According to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, Kinney previously held valid nursing licenses in Alabama, California, and Florida. However, his professional history is marred by a series of disciplinary actions that ultimately led to the revocation of his Florida nursing license in 2022. These infractions included diverting drugs from his employer, driving under the influence of drugs, providing false information, and engaging in unprofessional conduct.
This troubling track record raises questions about how Kinney was able to continue applying for nursing positions despite his revoked license and checkered past. Investigators discovered that Kinney’s fraudulent scheme involved using his roommate’s legitimate nursing license and personal information to deceive potential employers. This allowed him to bypass initial background checks and secure interviews, and in some cases, temporary employment.
The fact that Kinney managed to work briefly at two healthcare facilities in Orange and Seminole counties has sparked alarm about the adequacy of hiring protocols in the healthcare industry. Authorities have not yet disclosed whether Kinney’s brief employment posed any direct risks to patients, nor have they revealed whether the real nurse whose identity was stolen faces any consequences.
Kinney’s case is particularly concerning given the critical nature of nursing roles, which require extensive training and licensure to ensure patient safety. His actions highlight the potential dangers of inadequate vetting processes and the ease with which individuals can exploit stolen credentials to gain access to sensitive positions. The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office emphasized that Florida law takes healthcare credential fraud seriously, making it illegal to apply for healthcare positions without valid licensure. Kinney’s arrest serves as a stark reminder of the importance of vigilance in verifying the qualifications of medical professionals.
Broader Implications for Healthcare Hiring
The arrest of Joseph Kinney is not an isolated incident but part of a disturbing trend of individuals impersonating nurses across the United States. In recent months, similar cases have emerged, underscoring significant gaps in healthcare hiring processes. For instance, in August 2025, a 29-year-old woman named Autumn Bardisa was arrested in Florida for allegedly posing as a registered nurse and treating over 4,400 patients at AdventHealth Palm Coast Parkway without a valid license. Like Kinney, Bardisa used the credentials of another nurse to secure her position, highlighting the recurring issue of identity theft in healthcare fraud.
In another case, a 44-year-old Virginia woman, Amanda Leeann Porter, was arrested in November 2024 for impersonating a registered nurse at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, California. Porter allegedly oversaw approximately 60 patients using false identities, further illustrating the widespread nature of this problem. These incidents have prompted discussions about the need for stricter regulations and more robust verification systems to prevent unqualified individuals from infiltrating the healthcare system.
The case of Joseph Kinney exposes several vulnerabilities in the healthcare hiring process. First, it highlights the reliance on self-reported credentials and the potential for fraudulent documentation to go unnoticed during initial screenings. Second, it underscores the importance of cross-referencing applicant information with state licensing boards and conducting thorough background checks. Finally, it raises questions about the oversight of temporary or short-term hires, as Kinney was able to work briefly at two facilities before his deception was uncovered.
To address these issues, experts suggest implementing real-time license verification systems, enhancing collaboration between healthcare facilities and licensing boards, and increasing penalties for credential fraud. Additionally, the use of biometric identification or blockchain-based credentialing systems could provide a more secure method of verifying professional qualifications. The involvement of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in Kinney’s case indicates a growing recognition of the need for federal oversight to tackle this issue on a national scale.
The public response to Kinney’s arrest has been one of shock and concern, with many expressing outrage over the potential risks to patient safety. Social media discussions have emphasized the need for accountability in the healthcare industry and called for reforms to prevent similar incidents in the future. The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office has been praised for its proactive approach in setting up the sting operation, but the incident has also sparked criticism of healthcare facilities that failed to detect Kinney’s fraud earlier.
The arrest of Joseph Thomas Kinney on September 8, 2025, serves as a chilling reminder of the vulnerabilities in the healthcare system that allow imposters to exploit gaps in hiring processes. By using a stolen identity and fraudulent credentials, Kinney was able to apply for numerous nursing positions and even secure brief employment, raising serious concerns about patient safety and the integrity of medical institutions.
The swift action of the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office and the alertness of a hiring manager prevented Kinney from potentially causing harm, but his case underscores the need for systemic changes to prevent future incidents. As the investigation continues, authorities are working to determine the full extent of Kinney’s actions and whether his brief employment at healthcare facilities had any adverse effects on patients.
Meanwhile, the healthcare industry must grapple with the broader implications of this case and take steps to strengthen hiring protocols, enhance credential verification, and protect the public from unqualified practitioners. The arrest of Joseph Kinney is a wake-up call for healthcare providers, regulators, and the public to prioritize patient safety and ensure that only qualified professionals are entrusted with critical medical roles.