ORLANDO, Fla. – A search warrant was executed Monday at the office of a Florida court-appointed guardian accused of falisifying do not resuscitate orders.
Officials from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement confirmed that a search was conducted at Rebecca Fierle's office on Hillcrest Street in Orlando but could not provide details on the scope of the warrant or what, if anything, was seized because the criminal investigation is ongoing.
Fierle resigned last month when she came under fire for abusing her power by filing do not resuscitate orders on many of the wards under her supervision without family or court permission. A judge stripped her of nearly 100 cases less than a month ago after the accusations came to light.
The cases were based in Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Hillsborough and Pinellas counties.
An FDLE spokesman confirms the search for evidence and those who work nearby Fierle's business say Orange County deputies and state investigators had crime tape around the house where Fierle ran her Geriatric Management LLC.
"I saw caution tape and unmarked police vehicles," said John Kenknight, who manages a store across the street from the office.
Kenknight says he thought some sort of break-n had occurred across the street.
"They couldn't disclose what it was," Kenknight said, adding officers told him it wasn't a break in.
Both the FDLE and Orange County Sheriff's Office confirm it was officers with their agencies executing a state issued search warrant on Fierle's Geriatric Management Monday and were there most of the day.
News 6 went by the office to see if Fierle or any of her workers were still there. No one was there but there were still desks, copiers, computers and papers visible through the back-door window.
In July, Fierle submitted a letter of resignation to the state, after judges in multiple counties reassigned dozens of her guardianship cases.
The action came days after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis demanded an investigation and review of the state guardianship program following the death of a Central Florida man under Fierle's care.
A state investigation revealed Fierle refused to remove a do-not-resuscitate order on 75-year-old Steven Stryker, even though he told her and family members he wanted lifesaving measures used.
An Orange County judge removed and revoked nearly 100 guardianship cases from Fierle after it was discovered.
Stryker's daughter Kim lives in Virginia, and spoke to News 6 via Skype. She says she is glad her father did not die in vain and that the state is investigating.
"I was very pleasantly surprised that they were willing to reach out to me, and work with me, and listen to me about what happened with my dad," Kim Stryker said. "so they can prevent it from happening to anybody else, and anybody else's family."
Fierle has not responded to multiple requests for comment from News 6.