Some schools will accept notarized copies of your own documents along with "proof" of the school's destruction. 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. Palm Beach International College | Programs also accept certified copies of the documents. 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. Three Florida nursing schools soldthousands of fake nursing diplomas worth millions in a scheme that allowed aspiring nurses to bypass the required training to become licensed in the profession, federal prosecutors alleged Thursday. 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. Request in PersonIn person requests are BY APPOINTMENT ONLY - to view the calendar for times/dates available and to schedule your visit. 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.. They were charged with conspiring to and committing wire fraud, prosecutors said. More than 7,600 fraudulent diplomas were allegedly issued by three nursing schools in South Florida. U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Florida, Fraudulent Nursing Diploma Scheme Leads to Federal Charges Against 25 Defendants, South Florida Marketer Sentenced to Prison Term for Buying and Selling Over 2.6 Million Medicare Beneficiary Identification Numbers, South Florida Marketer Pleads Guilty to Role in Scheme Involving Purchase and Sale of Millions of Medicare Beneficiary Identification Numbers, Ardid de Estafa de Diploma de Enfermera Conduce a la Detencin de Ms de Dos Docenas de Acusados. The overall scheme involved the distribution of more than 7,600 fake nursing diplomas issued at a cost of about $114 million. This school offers training in 4 qualifications, with the most reviewed qualifications being Registered Nurse , C.N.A. 25 Arrested and Charged in Fraudulent Nursing Diploma Scheme - People Published on January 27, 2023 12:17 AM. The indictment alleges that Witherspoon, Sellu, and Bernadel solicited and recruited individuals who sought nursing credentials to gain employment as an RN or LPN/VN. 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. When it was dissolved in 2020, the address w 1110 Sixth Ave. S. in Lake Worth Beach. Authorities said students paid between $6,000 and $18,000 for fake transcripts and certificates. Copyright 2023 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. FBI Miami and HHS-OIG Miami investigated these cases. She graduated from California State University, Sacramento in 2000 with a bachelor's degree in nursing. NOTICE: Under Florida law, email addresses are public record. 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Upon request, Admissions staff will "What do we learn when somebody gets injured? Fax Line: (305) 530-7679. About 2,400 of the 7,600 students eventually passed their licensing exams mainly in New York, federal officials said. Florida Public High Schools and Charter schools Please request that transcripts be submitted electronically via FASTER. Investigators said about a third of the people actually are practicing medicine. The other 10 charged were listed as recruiters, including seven from New Jersey or New York. Former student's signature, if 18 or over. Fourteen of those charged are linked to the Palm Beach County school. The copies will need to be certified She said a normal nursing school program lasts 22 months and can equate to four years at a large university. Nurses certified in New York are allowed to practice in Florida and many other states. 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. Student and Staff Safety: Addressing the Significant Rise in Mental Health Needs and Violence, Beyond Threat Assessment: Managing Threats with Appropriate Follow-up, Monitoring & Training, Mental Health in America: Test Your Awareness with This Quiz, Test Your Hospital Safety and Security Knowledge with These 9 Questions, IS-800 D National Response Framework Exam Questions. Officials are trying to track down nurses with fake degrees from Fla Our mission is to educate, affirm, and inspire each student in an equity-embedded school system. If you see that we have records for a school that you attended and would like to see if we have your transcript, please complete the Transcript Request Form Transcript Request Form (PDF). U.S. v. Russ, et al., case no. "Nothing, nothing. program application deadline to ensure timely review. Around 2,400 of those people then passed a licensing exam to obtain jobs as registered nurses and . 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. official to Admissions at. States is optional. 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. 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. I would say that based on the rapid proliferation of online training programs that started well before COVID-19 but have definitely increased since COVID-19 just because of the difficulties we've had with being able to have in-person training, we know that there's going to be a higher chance that some of these people are going to slip through the cracks," Bernard said. In fact, the aspiring nurses never completed the necessary courses and clinicals. 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. "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. Charges Related to Fraudulent Nursing Diplomas and Transcripts fromSiena College. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Clark is prosecuting this case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Grosnoff is handling asset forfeiture. Charges Related to Fraudulent Nursing Diplomas and Transcripts from Palm Beach School of Nursing. Our Platform. For more information, visitpalmbeachstate.edu/admissions/credit-by-exam. U.S. v. Witherspoon, et al., case no. From Nov. 2020 to July 2021, Charles Etienne, owner of Sacred Heart International Institute, and two others provided purchasers with 588 fake diplomas and transcripts. 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. Required fields are marked *. Instead, contact this office by phone or in writing. Provide a copy of Driver's License, Passport, or State Issued ID Card and a Social Security Card. The Department of Justice along with the Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General carried out the investigation, dubbed Operation Nightingale. "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. Siena College. at transcriptevaluation@palmbeachstate.edu. 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. 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. Charges Related to Fraudulent Nursing Diplomas and Transcripts from Sacred Heart International Institute, U.S. v. Jean, et al., case no. Fraudulent degrees qualified recipients to take the national nursing board exam. For example, the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE), which provides oversight of California's private postsecondary education institutions, is a depository for many closed schools and former students can request official transcripts from the archives. The indictment alleges that Witherspoon, Sellu, and Bernadelsolicited and recruited individuals who sought nursing credentials to gain employment as an RN or LPN/VN. Diplomas are not accepted as proof of high school completion or in place of transcripts. Your email address will not be published. These Valuable Pennies Are Worth Thousands. 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. 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. Take a Look, Police Reunite Parents With Toddler Found Wandering in Miramar, A Toxic Plant Was Removed From a Miami Park. She currently works as a charge nurse in a busy outpatient primary care department. 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. No students were named in the indictments. to request a transcript. 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. Nurses are frustrated by months-long delays to get licensed in some states, Short-staffed and COVID-battered, U.S. hospitals are hiring more foreign nurses. Southern District of Florida Siena College was a school in Broward County, Florida that was licensed by the states board of nursing and its independent education commission to offer practical nursing and Bachelor of Science in Nursing programs. How Do Nurses Protect Themselves from Highly Infectious Patients? Phone: (561)683-1400. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, Public Affairs Unit 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. 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. all right, chris, thank you. How Do I Get Transcripts from a Nursing School That Has Closed? NOTE:If you exited the District within the past 3 years, contact the last school you attended to process your records/transcript request.Official GED transcripts: visit the Florida Department of EducationRequest GEDPostsecondary Career & Technical Education (CTE) transcriptsfrom the Department of Adult & Community Education: complete aPostsecondary Career & Technical Education (CTE) Transcript Requestform. Student Records Requests / Request Transcript : 23-60007-Cr-Singhal. Brown, along with several students, left the program when they realized it was a scam. date. 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. 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. High School Graduate GED Student Home Education Graduate Out of Country Credentials College/University Transfer Student Transcripts can be sent via secure PDF directly from the issuing institution to Admissions 'Operation Nightingale' also targeted 2 schools in Broward County. 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. * Diplomas are not accepted as proof of high school completion or in place of transcripts. Out of State Public Universities and Colleges. Charges Related to Fraudulent Nursing Diplomas and Transcripts fromSacred Heart International Institute, U.S. v. Jean, et al., case no. "Tuition, I paid $16,000, not to mention I had to pay $99 to sit the exam," Brown said. In fact, the aspiring nurses never completed the necessary courses and clinicals. Campus District Upcoming Events april27 Carleen Health institute In Fort Lauderdale, Fl The Palm Beach County school, which operated on 2695 N. Military Trail in West Palm Beach, offered an Associate in Science degree. With the help of the fake degrees the nurses found jobs at nursing homes that took in Medicare and Medicaid-eligible patients. Transcripts must be ordered online through services provided by Credentials Solutions Note: Transcripts need to show a graduation date to be considered complete and official. Nurse Suicides: Unveiling the Shrouds of Silence. The investigation turned up about $114 million dollars of fake nursing diplomas that were sold across three formerly accredited schools: Palm Beach School of Nursing. Phone: 850-245-0509 Below is a list of schools that the Commission has some records for or has information on where the records are maintained. 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. NBC 6's Xochitl Hernandez has more on what the student had to say in an interview you'll see Only on 6. "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. Federal indictment over fake Florida nursing diplomas leaves 26 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. 2023 Emerald X, LLC. Copyright 2002-2023 Blackboard, Inc. All rights reserved. The bleeding here is to stop those schools from being able to put more fraudulent diplomas out in the public sphere.". "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. These schools are now closed. Submission of college transcripts from postsecondary institutions outside the United What Happens When a Nurse Has a Substance Abuse Problem? Related: HHS: Insiders Pose Significant Cybersecurity Threat to Healthcare. Adrien and Predestin are also named as co-conspirators in the Siena College case. There are two categories of defendants. This discussion will help participants analyze, understand, and assess their own program effectiveness. This case is being prosecuted in conjunction with a related criminal matter in the District of Maryland. 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 School of Nursing | Palm Beach Atlantic University The U.S. Department of Justice announced . Students should download and print theHome Education Graduation Affidavit form. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); In this webinar, attendees will learn the observable behaviors people exhibit as they head down a path of violence so we can help prevent the preventable. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Executive Director / President. West Palm Beach, FL 33417. 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. U.S. v. Russ, et al., case no. How Do I Get Transcripts from a Nursing School That Has Closed? Weitere Informationen ber die Verwendung Ihrer personenbezogenen Daten finden Sie in unserer Datenschutzerklrung und unserer Cookie-Richtlinie. Miami, Florida - Today, a Miami federal grand jury returned an indictment charging two Lauderhill residents for their roles in a fraud conspiracy that sold fake nursing degrees to people who had not completed the required nursing coursework or clinicals. : 23-60005-Cr-Smith, U.S. v. Sanon, case no. 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. The School of Nursing - Palm Beach Atlantic University Practical Nursing Program Description don@palmbeachintcollege.com Associate Of Science In Nursing Degree Program (ASN) PBSD 1457 (Rev. Ten people helped recruit people looking to obtain fake degrees. 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. Pay a non-refundable application fee of $150.00.
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