A Florida man pretending to be a nurse was arrested at a job interview, as authorities say he had used fake credentials to apply to at least 10 different nursing positions.
Joseph Thomas Kinney, 55, was arrested Monday for impersonating a registered nurse and using someone else’s nursing license and personal information to apply to jobs, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office said.
Video shows authorities were able to nab Kinney at a fake job interview set up by a detective posing as a hiring manager.
Footage shows officers quickly apprehending Kinney and placing him in handcuffs outside a healthcare center office.
Authorities began investigating Kinney in August after a hiring manager reported he was applying for nursing jobs using phony credentials, ClickOrlando reported.
The hiring manager, who worked at Ridgecrest Health and Rehab Center in DeLand, said they had previously encountered Kinney in October 2024 at Indigo Manor Nursing and Rehabilitation in Daytona.
During their earlier interaction, Kinney appeared nervous and presented suspicious documents, including an incorrect driver’s license, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by the outlet.
An investigation revealed that Kinney had been impersonating a licensed nurse he was living with in Lake Mary, not far from Orlando.
Kinney previously held nursing licenses in Alabama, California and Florida but his credentials were revoked in 2022, authorities said. He was disciplined at previous roles for a slew of repeat offenses, including diverting drugs from his employer, driving under the influence of drugs, providing false information and unprofessional conduct.
Authorities say Kinney applied for 10 to 15 nursing jobs using the same fake ID and nursing license. He was hired for two positions in Seminole and Orange counties, but worked at each for less than a week.
He has now been charged with two counts of practicing health care profession without a license, authorities said.
Florida law prohibits even attempting or offering a health care profession without a valid license.
The Office of the Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services assisted in the arrest and is helping local authorities.
