VSO Arrests Nursing Applicant on Fraudulent ID Charges

The Volusia Sheriff’s Office arrested 55-year-old Joseph Kinney on Monday after they alleged he used fraudulent identification while interviewing for a nursing job. Kinney is accused of using someone else’s nursing license to cover up his own license being revoked in 2022. A nurse hiring manager got in touch with the Volusia Sheriff’s Office after noticing Kinney’s applications were somewhat suspicious. Detectives began investigating Kinney, and at one point even arranged an interview with him pretending to be a hiring coordinator. Kinney is said to have arrived at a Volusia AdventHealth location for that interview on Monday, where VSO deputies promptly placed him under arrest. He was charged with two counts of practicing health care without a license, and booked into the Volusia County Branch Jail on $20,000 bond. Under Florida law, Kinney’s alleged attempts to work as a nurse without a license meet the criteria of the charges. VSO investigators say that Kinney is a former license-holder in Alabama, California, and Florida. He reportedly has been disciplined for “repeated incidents including diverting drugs from his employer, driving under the influence of drugs, providing false information, and unprofessional conduct.” During his job search, Kinney allegedly applied to between ten and fifteen job openings. Two of them, in Orange and Seminole counties, hired Kinney and are said to have each employed him for under a week. A further investigation into Kinney will be conducted with the assistance from the Office of the Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.