JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – In a bizarre case unfolding in Clay County, authorities have arrested a local woman and her fiancé following the investigation of an elderly man’s death. The couple, identified as Alexiea Irwin and Julien Williams, are accused of posing as a nurse and will face charges in Clay County.
Investigators revealed that Irwin assisted Williams in posing as a nurse by handling patient information, scheduling, and human resources for Brightstar Care. This allowed Williams to impersonate a healthcare aide, a scheme that has raised significant concerns about patient safety and fraud prevention.
Local attorney Shannon Schott of Plata Schott Law said that when it comes to a situation like this there are ways families can be prepared, even if they don’t catch it themselves, emphasizing the importance of concepts like having a power of attorney with HIPAA language in personal records, which ensures that family members can access protected information if a loved one becomes incapacitated or hospitalized.
“It really helps your family members be able to investigate an untimely death in the event that there’s an issue,” Schott explained.
While Schott acknowledged the difficulty in detecting such schemes, she advised families to ask for identification and cross-reference license numbers to verify the legitimacy of healthcare providers.
“Asking to see someone’s identification and matching that identification to the person who’s giving it to you is one way you can figure it out,” Schott noted.
The case has also led to the suspension of a Jacksonville-based home care company owner for five years following a review by the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA), which highlights the responsibility of companies to thoroughly vet their employees to prevent such incidents.
The Clay County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed that the extradition of Irwin and Williams will occur in about a week.
