Florida nurse used identity of Alzheimer’s patient to get $7,000 in plastic surgery: lawmakers

DELTONA, Fla. (WFLA) — A nurse has been put behind bars after she was allegedly caught stealing from her patient to have plastic surgery, lawmakers said.

The Volusia Sheriff’s Office said it began investigating the situation on April 4 when the victim, an 88-year-old woman with Alzheimer’s, received a bill for $7,160.11 in the mail.

The bill was for a credit card that her husband said no one had signed up for.

Lawmakers said further investigation revealed a $7,000 fee was levied on Tiffany Acuna, 31, for multiple surgeries at Miami’s Moon Plastic Surgery.

Acuna, also known as Tiffany Kent, worked as a registered nurse for American In-Home Care until her suspension on April 4, according to the sheriff’s office.

“When a detective called Acuna about the allegations, she initially refused to apply for a credit card on behalf of the victim and refused cosmetic surgery,” the sheriff’s office said. “Acuna later contacted the victim’s husband and requested a meeting to set up a repayment plan.”

However, when she arrived at the victim’s home Thursday morning with $1,500 in cash and a loan agreement, she found detectives already waiting for her.

The sheriff’s office said Acuna claimed the victim allowed her to use her ID to get the credit card to pay for the surgery.

Acuna was charged with grand larceny and fraudulent use of identification without the consent of a victim over the age of 60 and was sentenced to the Volusia County Branch Jail.