Secure .gov websites use HTTPS In fact, the aspiring nurses never completed the necessary courses and clinicals. The school was licensed with the Florida Board of Nursing but it was terminated in 2017 due to low passing rates on the state certification exam. Etienne is charged by information with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. All schools are now defunct. The bogus diplomas and transcripts qualified purchasers to sit for the national nursing board exam and, after passing it, to obtain licenses and jobs in various states as RNs and LPN/VNs. Charges Related to Fraudulent Nursing Diplomas and Transcripts from Palm Beach School of Nursing. There is a $5.00 non-refundable fee for each official transcript requested. Required fields are marked *. Around 2,400 of those people then passed a licensing exam to obtain jobs as registered nurses and . The alleged selling and purchasing of nursing diplomas and transcripts to willing but unqualified individuals is a crime that potentially endangers the health and safety of patients and insults the honorable profession of nursing, said Special Agent in Charge Omar Prez Aybar of Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). *Diplomas are not accepted as proof of high school completion or in place of transcripts. Your Photos. Charges Related to Fraudulent Nursing Diplomas and Transcripts from Palm Beach School of Nursing. Palm Beach International College | Admissions More than $100 million worth of bogus nursing diplomas and transcripts were sold to 7,600 individuals who paid an average of $15,000 to obtain them. She was not named in the indictment. These fake documents represented that the aspiring RN and LPN/VN candidates had attended Siena Colleges nursing program in Broward County and completed the necessary courses and clinicals to obtain RN or LPN/VN diplomas. 'Operation Nightingale' also targeted 2 schools in Broward County. : 23-60007-Cr-Singhal . It is alleged that these recruiter defendants then arranged with Palm Beach School of Nursings owner Johanah Napoleon and school employees Gail Russ, Cheryl Stanley, Krystal Lopez, and Ricky Riley to create and distribute false and fraudulent diplomas and transcripts representing that the aspiring RN and LPN/VN candidates had attended Palm Beach School of Nursing and completed the necessary courses and clinicals to obtain RN or LPN/VN diplomas. The overall scheme involved the distribution of more than 7,600 fake nursing diplomas issued by three South Florida-based nursing schools: Siena College in Broward County, Fla., Palm Beach School of Nursing in Palm Beach County, Fla., and Sacred Heart International Institute in Broward County. The Palm Beach County school, which operated on 2695 N. Military Trail in West Palm Beach, offered an Associate in Science degree. Investigators said about a third of the people actually are practicing medicine. Crimes such as these unfortunately continue to spring up, especially in this area. When Lucy Brown signed up for the Palm Beach School of Nursing, she thought she made the right choice. Student Speaks Out After Palm Beach School of Nursing Busted for Each defendant faces up to 20 years in prison. "Not only is this a public safety concern, it also tarnishes the reputation of nurses who actually complete the demanding clinical and course work required to obtain their professional licenses and employment," said U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Markenzy Lapointe. Fourteen of those charged are linked to the Palm Beach County school. An official website of the United States government. Each defendant faces up to 20 years in prison. No students were named in the indictments. The nursing applicants used the fake diplomas and transcripts they purchased from the owner and employees of Palm Beach School of Nursing to obtain RN or LPN/VN licenses in various states and nursing jobs with unwitting health care providers throughout the country. a course-by-course commercial evaluation completed by an approved agency. He said it's particularly disturbing that more than 7,600 people around the country obtained fake credentials and were potentially in critical health care roles treating patients. Siena College, Palm Beach School of Nursing and Sacred Heart International Institute - all based in south Florida - combined to distribute more than 7,600 fraudulent diplomas worth over. U.S. v. Russ, et al., case no. : 23-60007-Cr-Singhal. Southern District of Florida | Fraudulent Nursing Diploma Scheme Leads The indictment charges defendants Stanton Witherspoon of Burlington County N.J.; Alfred Sellu of Burlington County N.J.; and Rene Bernadel of Westchester County, N.Y. with conspiring to commit and committing wire fraud. All rights reserved. More than 7,600 fake nursing diplomas were issued by the three nursing schools since 2016 at $15,000 each, netting them more than $114 million. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. hide transcript show transcript. Related: HHS: Insiders Pose Significant Cybersecurity Threat to Healthcare. The diploma and transcripts arrived less than two weeks later from Palm Beach School of Nursing, showing a 3.4 grade point average. RELATED: Considering & Choosing a Nursing School. . The news stunned Brown, but she said she always thought something was a little sketchy about her online degree program. Were it not for the diligence and hard work of the investigators on this case, the extent of this fraud may not have been discovered.. Nursing school in West Palm Beach named in fraudulent diploma - MSN The information against Sanon alleges that he and others sold thousands of fake Siena College nursing diplomas and educational transcripts to nursing applicants who used them to obtain RN or LPN/VN licenses in various states and nursing jobs with unwitting health care providers throughout the country. In fact, the aspiring nurses never completed the necessary courses and clinicals. Fax: (561)683-6773. U.S. Attorneys Office Defendants sold fraudulent nursing degree diplomas and transcripts obtained from accredited Florida-based nursing schools to individuals seeking licenses and jobs as registered nurses and licensed practical/vocational nurses, according to three recently unsealed indictments returned by a South Florida federal grand jury on Jan. 12 and information filed by federal prosecutors. A copy of your driver license, state ID, or other form of photo identification showing your name, date of birth and signature is required.