In-Home Certified Nursing Assistant Charged With Using Alzheimer's Patient's Identity To Buy Cosmetic Surgery

Date Added: April 28, 2023 9:40 am

Andrew Gant
Office of Public Affairs & Media Relations

IN-HOME CERTIFIED NURSING ASSISTANT CHARGED WITH USING ALZHEIMER’S PATIENT’S IDENTITY TO BUY COSMETIC SURGERY

An in-home certified nursing assistant who was caring for a Deltona woman with Alzheimer’s disease has been arrested on charges of fraud and grand theft after opening a credit card in her patient’s name and using it to purchase cosmetic surgery.

Deputies responded to the 88-year-old victim’s home on April 4 after a credit card bill for $7,160.11 arrived in her mail. Her husband explained no one had signed up for the account.

Further investigation revealed a transaction for $7,000 was made on Nov. 1, 2022, for multiple procedures at Moon Plastic Surgery, and the customer was Tiffany Acuna (DOB 7/13/1991), also known as Tiffany Kent.

Acuna, who was working for American In-Home Care, was suspended by the company on April 4, the day of the allegations.

When a detective contacted Acuna about the allegations via phone, she initially denied applying for a credit card in the victim’s name and denied receiving cosmetic surgery.

Acuna later contacted the victim’s husband requesting a meeting to set up a repayment plan.

On Thursday morning, when Acuna arrived at the victim’s home with an envelope of $1,500 cash and a loan agreement contract, deputies and detectives were there to meet her and take her into custody. She told detectives the victim had given her permission to use her identity to pay for cosmetic surgery.

Acuna’s charges are grand theft and fraudulent use of ID without consent of a victim 60 or older. She was booked Thursday at the Volusia County Branch Jail and released after posting $10,000 bail.