PALM COAST, Fla. (CBS12) — No license, but access to thousands of patients. And no one noticed for months.

A seven-month-long investigation led by the Flagler County Sheriff's Office (FCSO) ended in the arrest of a Palm Coast woman who posed as a licensed nurse and provided medical care to nearly 4,500 unsuspecting patients.

"This is one of the most disturbing cases of medical fraud we’ve ever investigated," said Sheriff Rick Staly. "She violated the trust of patients, families, and an entire medical community. Thanks to outstanding collaboration with our partners, she’ll be held accountable."

The investigation into 29-year-old Autumn Bardisa began in January 2025 when AdventHealth Palm Coast Parkway reported her for impersonating a registered nurse. The sheriff's office said Bardisa had allegedly submitted false documentation and used another nurse's license number to secure employment as an advanced nurse technician.

The sheriff's office said Bardisa was hired in July 2023 under the premise that she was an "education first" registered nurse — having completed the required coursework but not yet passed the national licensing exam. She later claimed to have passed the exam and provided a license number belonging to someone with the same first name but a different surname, which she said had changed due to marriage.

Despite multiple requests, Bardisa never produced a marriage certificate, according to the news release. Sheriff Rick Staly said her deception unraveled when a colleague, curious about a potential promotion Bardisa received, discovered she only held an expired certified nursing assistant license.

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Following her termination in late January 2025, the sheriff's office said it was contacted by AdventHealth to launch a criminal investigation. The Florida Department of Health and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services joined the case, interviewing witnesses and confirming that Bardisa had impersonated a real nurse employed at a different AdventHealth location — someone she vaguely knew from school but had no personal relationship with.

Detectives determined Bardisa had delivered medical services to 4,486 people during her time at the hospital, all without a valid license.

On August 5, FCSO said investigators secured an arrest warrant for Bardisa on seven counts of practicing a health care profession without a license and seven counts of fraudulent use of personal identification information. She was taken into custody by the FCSO Fugitive Unit and booked into the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility with her bond set at $70,000.

The sheriff's office said if you believe you may have received medical care from Bardisa, contact the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office at [email protected] for more information.

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