Former Monroe County Trauma Star Chief Flight Nurse Lynda Rusinowski Sentenced

Lynda J. Rusinowski, 59, the former chief flight nurse for Monroe County Fire Rescue’s Trauma Star program, was sentenced Feb. 25, 2026 by Circuit Judge Mark Jones to 60 days in the Monroe County jail after entering an open plea of no contest to 14 counts of grand theft of a controlled substance and three counts of official misconduct.

Prosecutors allege Rusinowski illegally obtained fentanyl, Dilaudid, Versed, ketamine and morphine from Monroe County Fire Rescue. The charges carry statutory references to F.S. 812.014(2)(c)13 for grand theft of a controlled substance and F.S. 838.022(1)(a)(b) for official misconduct.

The case began with Rusinowski’s arrest in 2022 and proceeded to a Monroe County grand jury indictment in 2024 following a sheriff’s investigation and a clerk’s office audit. The audit and investigation "identified numerous discrepancies within controlled substance logs and inventories, including missing controlled substance vials and falsified log entries used to mask the diversion of narcotics over a period of time."

Rusinowski entered an open plea of no contest to the 17 counts. Steve Torrence, a spokesman for the Monroe County State Attorney’s Office, explained the plea: "An open plea means the defendant enters a plea directly to the court without a negotiated sentencing agreement with the state, leaving sentencing entirely to the judge’s discretion."

Beyond the 60 days in jail, Judge Jones sentenced Rusinowski to five years of drug court probation and ordered completion of a treatment program, described by court filings as having two years remaining. Additional supervision terms include 50 hours of community service, attendance at three AA/NA meetings per week and submission to two urinalyses per week. The court record states adjudication will be withheld upon her successful completion of all conditions of probation.

Financial penalties imposed at sentencing include court costs of $553, restitution of $1,152.19 to the Monroe County Clerk of Court for the cost of the controlled substances, investigative costs of $2,850 payable to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, and prosecution costs of $1,500. The State Attorney’s Office noted the total sentence "reflects a downward departure from the lowest permissible sentence under the criminal punishment code."

Trauma Star is Monroe County’s air ambulance system that transports patients to trauma centers in Miami; Rusinowski led flight nursing operations as chief flight nurse prior to her arrest. With the adjudication withheld conditioned on probation compliance, Rusinowski’s successful completion of the ordered treatment, testing and community-service terms will determine the final disposition of the case and whether the court’s withholding of adjudication stands.