NOTICE: Under Florida law, email addresses are public record. "They are monsters because you have to have clinical experience to do medication, to give IV, you can kill somebody," she said. Students applying to a Limited Access Program (Nursing, Fire Science, EMT, Etc.) According to charging documents, Sacred Heart International Institute was a Broward County School licensed by the Florida Board of Nursing that offered a nursing program designed to prepare students for employment as practical nurses. 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. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Federal Enforcement on Falsifying Thousands of Nursing Credentials The news stunned Brown, but she said she always thought something was a little sketchy about her online degree program. The schools involved Siena College, Palm Beach School of Nursing and Sacred Heart International Institute are now closed. Napoleon received largepayments for providing the fake diplomas, in one case taking in a $30,000 wire transfer from a co-defendant in 2021. "Nothing, nothing. : 23-60013-Cr-Moreno. From about Nov. 2018 to Oct. 2021, Sanon allegedly sold 2,016 fake diplomas and transcripts that falsely purported that recipients had completed the necessary courses and training at Siena College to obtain such degrees when they never had, according to the criminal complaint. of International Admissions at international@palmbeachstate.edu. Charges Related to Fraudulent Nursing Diplomas and Transcripts from Palm Beach School of Nursing. The diploma and transcripts arrived less than two weeks later from Palm Beach School of Nursing, showing a 3.4 grade point average. She currently works as a charge nurse in a busy outpatient primary care department. 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. 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. All schools are now defunct. 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. The defendants each face up to 20 years in prison. 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. Take a Look, Police Reunite Parents With Toddler Found Wandering in Miramar, A Toxic Plant Was Removed From a Miami Park. 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. 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.". Our mission is to educate, affirm, and inspire each student in an equity-embedded school system. With the help of the fake degrees the nurses found jobs at nursing homes that took in Medicare and Medicaid-eligible patients. The Florida Board of Nursing requires a criminal background check for all applicants seeking licensure. Diplomas are not accepted as proof of high school completion or in place of transcripts. to request a transcript. school or college/university attended. or transfer students, to submit all official academic transcripts from every high list of approved agencies is located at www.NACES.org/members (Applications for agencies Phone: (561)683-1400. The Palm Beach County school, which operated on 2695 N. Military Trail in West Palm Beach, offered an Associate in Science degree. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Clark is prosecuting this case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Grosnoff is handling asset forfeiture. Officials are trying to track down nurses with fake degrees from Fla When Lucy Brown signed up for the Palm Beach School of Nursing, she thought she made the right choice. 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. admissions@palmbeachstate.edu. An affidavit said about 175 graduates of the Virginia nursing school applied to the Maryland Board of Nursing, with 62 licensed practical nurses actively working in Maryland. Transcripts should be complete showing all final grades and if applicable graduation Applicants must meet the following requirements before being accepted: Be at least 18 years old. 22-60111-Cr-Smith and 22-60118-Cr-Smith). 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. Practical Nursing Program Specific Requirements 1. 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. In fact, the aspiring nurses never completed the necessary courses and clinicals. Provide a copy of Driver's License, Passport, or State Issued ID Card and a Social Security Card. 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. When it was dissolved in 2020, the address w 1110 Sixth Ave. S. in Lake Worth Beach. 'Operation Nightingale' also targeted 2 schools in Broward County. 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. The school was licensed with the Florida Board of. She said a normal nursing school program lasts 22 months and can equate to four years at a large university. Transcripts must be ordered online through services provided by Credentials Solutions Documentation of successful completion of post-secondary. : 23-60007-Cr-Singhal. Miami, Fl. Copyright 2002-2023 Blackboard, Inc. All rights reserved. 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). Out of State Public Schools and Private Schools Transcripts can be sent via Secure PDF directly from the school official to Admissions Siena College. NOTE: International students applying for F1 Visa / I-20 are advised to contact the office Individuals bought their fake nursing credentials for up to $15,000. 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. 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. 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. RELATED: Considering & Choosing a Nursing School. 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. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. More than 7,600 fraudulent diplomas were allegedly issued by three nursing schools in South Florida. 25 people were charged wednesday . Published on January 27, 2023 12:17 AM. official to Admissions at. *Diplomas are not accepted as proof of high school completion or in place of transcripts. : 23-60007-Cr-Singhal. 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. What If My Nursing School Isnt Accredited? : 23-60005-Cr-Smith, U.S. v. Sanon, case no. The charges speak to the purpose of a nursing license which is to protect the public from harm by setting minimum qualifications and competencies. Prior to 2010, schools were only obligated to maintain records for five years (for certificate and non-degree granting programs) or 50 years if the school granted degrees. 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. Now theyve filed complaints with their state attorneys to try and see how they can get their money back. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. 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. Nurses certified in New York are allowed to practice in Florida and many other states. If they passed, they were able to obtain licenses and jobs in various states,. No students were named in the indictments. 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). 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. It is alleged that these defendants arranged with Sanon, who managed Siena College and is charged by information with wire fraud conspiracy, to create and distribute false and fraudulent diplomas and transcripts. "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. : 23-60013-Cr-Moreno. Charges Related to Fraudulent Nursing Diplomas and Transcripts from Siena College. First, create an account, then place the order. 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. 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,. : 23-60007-Cr-Singhal. submitted as .pdf attachments. hide caption. Palm Beach State College (PBSC) requires all incoming students, whether first year The copies will need to be certified 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. Crimes such as these unfortunately continue to spring up, especially in this area. 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. Prosecutors said the scheme put patient safety at risk as required training programs exist to protect the public from harm by setting minimum qualifications and competencies.. The bleeding here is to stop those schools from being able to put more fraudulent diplomas out in the public sphere.". 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. What To Do When Your School No Longer Physically Exists, Adult Gerontology Nurse Practitioner Programs (AGNP), Womens Health Nurse Practitioner Programs, Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN), How Nurses Can Promote Vaccines Without Promoting Vaccines, CDC Estimates of Nurse & Healthcare Worker COVID-19 Cases Are Likely Understated, How Nurses Are Keeping Up With Practice Agreement Changes During COVID-19. Some schools will accept notarized copies of your own documents along with "proof" of the school's destruction. All trademarks are the property of their respective trademark holders. 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, who added that a fraud scheme like this erodes public trust in our health care system..
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