These schools are now closed. What is disturbing about this investigation is that there are over 7,600 people around the country with fraudulent nursing credentials who are potentially in critical health care roles treating patients. Fourteen of those charged are linked to the Palm Beach County school. submitted as .pdf attachments. Wire fraud is charged when a defendant uses interstate electronic communications to commit a fraud and "to further the scheme," according, Recruiters helped aspiring nurses obtain the fake degrees and transcripts. A lock ( Predestin worked at Docu-Flex and PowerfulU to help Adrien provide fake nursing diplomas and transcripts to students from the two schools in Broward and Palm Beach counties, the affidavit. Prosecutors alleged recruiters arranged with Palm Beach School of Nursings owner, Napoleon, and school employees Gail Russ, Cheryl Stanley, Krystal Lopez and Ricky Riley to create and distribute false and fraudulent diplomas and transcripts. No students were named in the indictments. What is disturbing about this investigation is that there are over 7,600 people around the country with fraudulent nursing credentials who are potentially in critical health care roles treating patients. of International Admissions at international@palmbeachstate.edu. Court documents show that in 2021, an undercover FBI employee went into an office in Fort Lauderdale and was offered an associate's degree in the science of nursing for $16,000. all right, chris, thank you. The news stunned Brown, but she said she always thought something was a little sketchy about her online degree program. Qualified purchasers were allowed 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. Qualified purchasers were allowed 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. "Health care fraud is nothing new to South Florida, as many scammers see this as a way to earn easy, though illegal, money," acting Special Agent in Charge Chad Yarbrough said Wednesday. After passing the exam, they became eligible to become licensed in several states, where they eventually found jobs as licensednurses. Main Office: Two co-defendants, Geralda Adrien and Woosvelt Predestin, also completed online courses on behalf of the fake degree purchasers. The American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers ( AACRAO) can also assist former students in locating information related to offsite storage of transcripts for schools that are no longer standing. Nurse Suicides: Unveiling the Shrouds of Silence. 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.. Published on January 27, 2023 12:17 AM. The Palm Beach County school, which operated on 2695 N. Military Trail in West Palm Beach, offered an Associate in Science degree. Attend class in person, virtually These recruiters then arranged with Charles Etienne, Sacred Hearts owner, to create and distribute false and fraudulent transcripts and diplomas representing that the aspiring candidates had attended Sacred Heart and completed the necessary courses and clinicals to obtain LPN/VN diplomas. When Lucy Brown signed up for the Palm Beach School of Nursing, she thought she made the right choice. What You Need to Know About Angel's Trumpet, 40 Years Later, Adam Walsh's Abduction and Murder Not Forgotten in South Florida, Check Your Change! Wenn Sie Ihre Auswahl anpassen mchten, klicken Sie auf Datenschutzeinstellungen verwalten. EunideSanon managed Siena College. Charges Related to Fraudulent Nursing Diplomas and Transcripts from Sacred Heart International Institute, U.S. v. Jean, et al., case no. But last week, federal authorities arrested 25 people and shut down the Palm Beach School of Nursing and two other colleges after investigators uncovered an elaborate web of money wiring, recruiting, and criminal activity to hand out fake nursing diplomas and transcripts. This case is being prosecuted in conjunction with a related criminal matter in the District of Maryland. Transcripts need to show a graduation date to be considered complete and official. Some schools will accept notarized copies of your own documents along with "proof" of the school's destruction. The other 10 charged were listed as recruiters, including seven from New Jersey or New York. 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. HHS: Insiders Pose Significant Cybersecurity Threat to Healthcare, Patients Sue Prince Georges Hospital After OB-GYN Faked Identity, 5 Ways Tech Can Help Patients Feel Safer in Your Healthcare Facility, Ex Hospital Respiratory Therapist Jennifer Hall Pleads Guilty in Deaths of 2 Patients, FBI 2022 Active Shooter Stats: Last Year U.S. Had Fewer Incidents but More Casualties. Adrien offered the undercover employee a degree from the Palm Beach School of Nursing and training for a licensing exam in New York at a cost of $16,000, according to an FBI affidavit. The Department of Justice along with the Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General carried out the investigation, dubbed Operation Nightingale. The bleeding here is to stop those schools from being able to put more fraudulent diplomas out in the public sphere.". Prosecutors said the scheme also involved transcripts from the nursing schools for people seeking licenses and jobs as registered nurses and licensed practical/vocational nurses. Charges Related to Fraudulent Nursing Diplomas and Transcripts from Palm Beach School of Nursing. In fact, the aspiring nurses never completed the necessary courses and clinicals. Related: HHS: Insiders Pose Significant Cybersecurity Threat to Healthcare. The college was run byEunide Sanon, who allegedly worked with three people, who are also charged, in New York and New Jersey who recruited aspiring nurses. Students shouldcomplete anonline request for Florida GED Transcript. 99 N.E. An official website of the United States government. West Palm Beach, FL 33417. In fact, the aspiring nurses never completed the necessary courses and clinicals. We will temporarily accept (due to COVID-19) clear copies of your high school diploma : 23-60013-Cr-Moreno. According to the charging documents, Palm Beach School of Nursings objective was to prepare students to meet Floridas licensing and nursing board requirements and become eligible to take the national licensing exam in order to work as registered nurses. Recruiters would bring "students" from other states to get the "shortcut" documents from the South Florida school. The American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) can also assist former students in locating information related to offsite storage of transcripts for schools that are no longer standing. With the help of the fake degrees the nurses found jobs at nursing homes that took in Medicare and Medicaid-eligible patients. She was not named in the indictment. Crimes such as these unfortunately continue to spring up, especially in this area. If you attended a school that was destroyed in a natural disaster or by other unexpected means and credentials were not digitally stored outside of the institution, speak with the Registrar at your prospective school for guidance. The Palm Beach County school, which operated on 2695 N. Military Trail in West Palm Beach, offered an Associate in Science degree. Official websites use .gov Florida Public High Schools and Charter schools Please request that transcripts be submitted electronically via FASTER. 12/20/2022) Record Copy - Records Management Duplicate - School/Department . Klicken Sie auf Alle ablehnen, wenn Sie nicht mchten, dass wir und unsere Partner Cookies und personenbezogene Daten fr diese zustzlichen Zwecke verwenden. 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. 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. Weitere Informationen ber die Verwendung Ihrer personenbezogenen Daten finden Sie in unserer Datenschutzerklrung und unserer Cookie-Richtlinie. The philosophy of the School of Nursing at Palm Beach Atlantic University is one that is Christ-centered and focused on the success of the students . According to the OIG, the scheme general worked in three parts: 'Producing the poison & selling the cure':Group ranks health care industry's lowlights in 2022, COVID vaccination:FDA vaccine panel to consider annual COVID shots, Sober home fraud:Florida doc sentenced to 20 years in prison. To order a high school transcript electronically, visitParchment. Authorities said students paid between $6,000 and $18,000 for fake transcripts and certificates. Sacred Heart International Institute. date. She began her career working night shifts on a pediatric/ med-surg unit for six years, later transferring to a telemetry unit where she worked for four more years. To be evaluated, all required transcripts need to be submitted from all institutions No students were named in the indictments. : 23-60012-Cr-Singhal. Health care fraud is nothing new to South Florida, as many scammers see this as a way to earn easy, though illegal, money, said acting Special Agent in Charge Chad Yarbrough, FBI Miami. U.S. v. Witherspoon, et al., case no. A locked padlock MIAMI More than two dozen individuals have been charged in the Southern District of Florida for their alleged participation in a wire fraud scheme that created an illegal licensing and employment shortcut for aspiring nurses. "Health care fraud is nothing new to South Florida, as many scammers see this as a way to earn easy, though illegal, money," acting Special Agent in Charge Chad Yarbrough, FBI Miami, said. Pay a non-refundable application fee of $150.00. "Plus I paid the plane fare, hotel, so roughly $25,000.". Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Transcripts should be complete showing all final grades and final graduation date. The overall scheme involved the distribution of more than 7,600 fake nursing diplomas issued by three South Florida-based nursing schools, Miami, Florida More than two dozen individuals have been charged in the Southern District of Florida for their alleged participation in a wire fraud scheme that created an illegal licensing and employment shortcut for aspiring nurses. The School District of Palm Beach County serves more than 189,000 students who speak 150 languages and dialects. U.S. Attorneys Office 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. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way, South Florida Sports Headlines Newsletter. Napoleon received largepayments for providing the fake diplomas, in one case taking in a $30,000 wire transfer from a co-defendant in 2021. All rights reserved. The Palm Beach County school, which operated on 2695 N. Military Trail in West Palm Beach, offered an Associate in Science degree. They were charged with conspiring to and committing wire fraud, prosecutors said. from outside of the United States of America. The indictment alleges that these defendants solicited and recruited individuals who sought nursing credentials to gain employment as an RN or LPN/VN. According to the charging documents, Palm Beach School of Nursings objective was to prepare students to meet Floridas licensing and nursing board requirements and become eligible to take the national licensing exam in order to work as registered nurses. Please note that Palm Beach State College will only accept original educational records Applicants must meet the following requirements before being accepted: Be at least 18 years old. Johanah Napoleon, the school's president, pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, as well as wire fraud in 2022. Tags Health News Florida nurse nursing school fraud arrest Broward County to request a transcript. 2023 Emerald X, LLC. The indictment charges Ludnie Jean of Harris County, Texas; Serge Jean of Harris County, Texas; Simon Itaman of Harris County, Texas; Anna Itaman of Harris County, Texas; Rhomy Louis of Suffolk County, N.Y.; and Nadege Auguste of Broward Countywith conspiring to and committing wire fraud. BSO Deputy Hospitalized After Multi-Vehicle Crash in Deerfield Beach, Police Investigate Separate Car Thefts in Miami, Broward, Tornado Touched Down in Palm Beach Gardens Leaving Destruction in Its Wake. Your email address will not be published. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. Adrien offered the undercover employee a degree from the Palm Beach School of Nursing and training for a licensing exam in New York at a cost of $16,000, according to an FBI affidavit. 25 people were charged wednesday . the issuing institution. The nursing candidates used the fake diplomas and transcripts they purchased from Sacred Heart to obtain LPN/VN licenses in various states and nursing jobs withunwitting health care providers throughout the country. A credit card is needed for theeTranscriptfee, which is $5.90. This school offers training in 4 qualifications, with the most reviewed qualifications being Registered Nurse , C.N.A. RegisteredNursing.org does not guarantee the accuracy or results of any of this information. U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Markenzy Lapointe; acting Special Agent in Charge Chad Yarbrough, FBI, Miami Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Omar Perez Aybar, HHS-OIG, made the announcement. Prosecutors alleged recruiters arranged with Palm Beach School of Nursings owner, Napoleon, and school employees Gail Russ, Cheryl Stanley, Krystal Lopez and Ricky Riley to create and distribute false and fraudulent diplomas and transcripts. This discussion will help participants analyze, understand, and assess their own program effectiveness. Siena College. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. About 2,400 of the 7,600 students eventually passed their licensing exams mainly in New York, federal officials said. hide transcript show transcript. Carleen Health Institute of South Florida Nursing and Healthcare Programs Plantation Campus 8320 West Sunrise Blvd, Suite #204 Plantation, FL 33322 Get directions West Palm Beach Campus 4645 Gun Club Road, #11 West Palm Beach, FL 33415 (561)656-4720 Get directions 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. When a school closes, they are required to select a permanent custodian of their records for later retrieval. Each defendant faces up to 20 years in prison. Napoleon was previously charged by information and has pled guilty to conspiring to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, as well as wire fraud (case nos. Recruiters would bring "students" from other states to get the "shortcut" documents from the South Florida school. Students applying to a Limited Access Program (Nursing, Fire Science, EMT, Etc.) Online tracking is available 24/7. The other schools named are the Sacred Heart Institute in Fort Lauderdale in Sienna College of Health in Lauderhill in the investigation dubbed "Operation Nightingale" after legendary nurse Florence Nightingale. Around 2,400 of those people then passed a licensing exam to obtain jobs as registered nurses and . 22-60111-Cr-Smith and 22-60118-Cr-Smith). Former student's signature, if 18 or over. Individuals bought their fake nursing credentials for up to $15,000. 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.. or both | Get started now. Instead, contact this office by phone or in writing. From April 2016 to July 2021, at least seven nurses obtained fake diplomas from the Palm Beach School of Nursing, Sunshine Academy, Quisqeya and Florida College of Health, which were all owned by Johanah Napoleon. Recently unsealed federal grand jury indictments allege the defendants took part in a scam that sold more than 7,600 fraudulent nursing degree diplomas from three Florida-based nursing schools, federal officials said during a news conference in Miami on Wednesday afternoon. The seven nurses used the diplomas to become licensed nurses in Ohio, New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts. According to the charging documents, Palm Beach School of Nursing's objective was to prepare students to meet Florida's licensing and nursing board requirements and become eligible to take the national licensing exam in order to work as registered nurses. "The most important thing for us was to make sure, to the extent were talking about health care, is that we stop the bleeding," Lapointe said. Transcripts should be complete showing all final grades and if applicable graduation The indictment charges Gail Russ of Broward County; Cheryl Stanley of Collier County, Fla.; Krystal Lopez of Palm Beach County; Ricky Riley of Broward County; Norberto Lopez of Palm Beach County; Damian Lopez of Palm Beach County; Francois Legagneur of Nassau County, N.Y.; Reynoso Seide of Union County, N.J.; Cassandre Jean of Palm Beach County; Yelva Saint Preux of Suffolk County, N.Y.; Evangeline Naissant of Nassau County, N.Y.; Rony Michel of Monmouth County, N.J.; Vilaire Duroseau of Essex County, N.J.; and Yvrose Thermitus, a/k/a Yvrose Thompson, of Union County, N.J., with conspiring to commit, and committing, wire fraud. What is disturbing about this investigation is that there are over 7,600 people around the country with fraudulent nursing credentials who are potentially in critical health care roles treating patients. Request for Student Records. Out of State Public Universities and Colleges. : 23-60010-Cr-Smith, U.S. v. Etienne, case no. "Nothing, nothing. She graduated from California State University, Sacramento in 2000 with a bachelor's degree in nursing. 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. Twenty-five people have been charged in a wire fraud scheme that created an illegal licensing and employment shortcut for aspiring nurses at three now-closed schools, including the Palm Beach School of Nursing, federal prosecutors said Wednesday afternoon. USAFLS.News@usdoj.gov, Southern District of Florida U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Markenzy Lapointe; acting Special Agent in Charge Chad Yarbrough, FBI, Miami Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Omar Perez Aybar, HHS-OIG, made the announcement. U.S. v. Witherspoon, et al., case no. also accept certified copies of the documents. When it was dissolved in 2020, the address w 1110 Sixth Ave. S. in Lake Worth Beach. MIAMI Twenty-five people have been charged in a wire fraud scheme that created an illegal licensing and employment shortcut for aspiring nurses at three now-closed schools, including the Palm Beach School of Nursing, federal prosecutors said Wednesday afternoon. program application deadline to ensure timely review. Latest posts by Amanda Bucceri Androus, RN, BSN. In coordination with our law enforcement partners, HHS-OIG continues to aggressively investigate bad actors who so brazenly disregard the well-being of others in order to enrich themselves fraudulently.. Group ranks health care industry's lowlights in 2022, FDA vaccine panel to consider annual COVID shots, Florida doc sentenced to 20 years in prison, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy, The DOJ is prosecuting participants in the alleged scheme in five separate cases. The phony credentials were sold by three South Florida-based nursing schools: Palm Beach School of Nursing in Palm Beach County, FL, Sacred Heart International Institute in Broward County, FL, and . Palm Beach State College prefers that transcripts be submitted electronically. Fax: (561)683-6773. But last week, federal authorities arrested 25 people and shut down the Palm Beach School of Nursing and two other colleges after investigators uncovered an elaborate web of money wiring,. Fraudulent degrees qualified recipients to take the national nursing board exam. 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. 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. Investigators said about a third of the people actually are practicing medicine. The 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. or transfer students, to submit all official academic transcripts from every high Upon request, Admissions staff will NOTE: International students applying for F1 Visa / I-20 are advised to contact the office Southern District of Florida 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. Five Maryland, Virginia and Florida residents have been hit with federal charges related to the production and sale of fraudulent nursing transcripts and diplomas, the De | In two cases announced . Siena College, the Palm Beach School of Nursing and Sacred Heart International Institute allegedly handed out more than 7,600 fake diplomas between 2016 and 2021. Your email address will not be published. In fact, the aspiring nurses never completed the necessary courses and clinicals. A copy of your driver license, state ID, or other form of photo identification showing your name, date of birth and signature is required. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida atwww.flsd.uscourts.govor athttp://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, Leading in Turbulent Times: Effective Campus Public Safety Leadership for the 21st Century. Attorneys for defendants were not listed in a federal court database Thursday. need Provide a copy of Driver's License, Passport, or State Issued ID Card and a Social Security Card. U.S. v. Russ, et al., case no. 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. 'Operation Nightingale' also targeted 2 schools in Broward County. Lois M. Gackenheimer Richards, PhD Ed, MSN, RN. A current Copyright 2023 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. When it was dissolved in 2020, the address w 1110 Sixth Ave. S. in Lake Worth Beach. NBC 6's Xochitl Hernandez has more on what the student had to say in an interview you'll see Only on 6. Valuable assistance was provided by Homeland Security Investigations, Miami Field Office; U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs-Office of Inspector General; United States Postal Inspection Service, Miami; and Florida Attorney General-Florida Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, Mid-Atlantic Field Office. AICE, AP, IB, or CLEP Please submit these transcripts electronically to transcriptevaluation@palmbeachstate.edu. Stop the bleeding. list of approved agencies is located at www.NACES.org/members (Applications for agencies If you do not want your email addresses released in response to a public records request, do not send electronic mail to this entity.