Florida woman who posed as nurse and treated more than 4,400 patients without a license avoids jail time

A Florida pistillate who posed arsenic a caregiver and treated much than 4,400 patients without a licence was sentenced this week to probation and assemblage work aft pleading nary contest, avoiding jailhouse clip successful a lawsuit authorities erstwhile called profoundly disturbing.

The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday that 29-year-old Autumn Bardisa, of Palm Coast, entered the blameworthy plea connected Tuesday to unlicensed signifier of healthcare and fraudulent usage of identification.

Circuit Judge Dawn Nichols withheld adjudication and sentenced Bardisa to 5 years of probation and 50 hours of assemblage work arsenic portion of the agreement.

She indispensable besides constitute a missive of apology to the caregiver whose licence fig she used.

As portion of the plea deal, Bardisa forfeited a nursing licence she obtained aft her apprehension to the Florida Department of Health and is barred from moving successful the aesculapian tract during her probation.

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Police assertion Autumn Bardisa posed arsenic a licensed caregiver and provided aesculapian attraction to much than 4,400 patients (Flagler County Sheriff's Office)

Bardisa was primitively charged with 7 counts of unlicensed signifier of wellness attraction and 7 counts of fraudulent usage of idiosyncratic recognition accusation pursuing a seven-month investigation.

Authorities said she treated much than 4,400 patients betwixt June 2024 and January 2025, portion falsely presenting herself arsenic a licensed caregiver astatine AdventHealth.

Investigators determined Bardisa ne'er held a valid nursing licence during that clip and alternatively utilized the licence fig of different caregiver who shared her archetypal name.

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Authorities accidental Autumn Bardisa utilized stolen caregiver individuality to dainty thousands of patients (Flagler County Sheriff's Office)

The lawsuit stemmed from a months-long probe involving authorities and national wellness agencies aft infirmary officials discovered Bardisa had allegedly utilized different nurse’s licence fig and falsified records to onshore a occupation arsenic an precocious caregiver technician.

Investigators said Bardisa initially applied nether an "education first" designation, typically utilized for nursing graduates who person not yet passed their licensing exam. She aboriginal claimed she had completed the exam and provided a licence fig belonging to a antithetic caregiver with the aforesaid archetypal name.

To explicate inconsistencies, Bardisa told infirmary unit she had precocious changed her past sanction aft getting joined but ne'er produced documentation erstwhile asked to verify the claim.

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Generic banal representation of constabulary car lights changeable September 8, 2020. (Stephen M. Katz/South Florida Sun-Sentinel/Tribune News Service)

Despite the missing paperwork, Bardisa was promoted successful January 2025, according to investigators. Concerns surfaced erstwhile a coworker independently checked her credentials and recovered she lone held an expired certified nursing adjunct license, prompting infirmary officials to notify authorities.

The strategy unraveled aft that discovery, starring to her termination and a broader transgression probe involving aggregate agencies.

Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said Bardisa’s actions enactment patients astatine hazard and undermined spot successful the aesculapian profession.

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"Nursing is simply a noble assemblage astir caring for those successful need, but determination is simply a close mode and incorrect mode to spell astir it, and she chose the incorrect mode by utilizing a existent nurse's license," Staly said, adding that her actions "potentially endangered patients."

Staly said Bardisa "ruined her career" and volition beryllium incapable to enactment successful the aesculapian tract for astatine slightest 3 years and up to 5 years nether the presumption of her probation.

Authorities antecedently described the lawsuit arsenic 1 of the astir important incidents of aesculapian fraud investigated by the agency.

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Officials said anyone who believes they whitethorn person been treated by Bardisa tin interaction the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.

Fox News Digital’s Stepheny Price contributed to this report.