This case is being prosecuted in conjunction with a related criminal matter in the District of Maryland. The other group included owners, operators and employees of nursing schools to fake diplomas and transcripts. First, create an account, then place the order. "Nothing, nothing. date. 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.. Amanda Bucceri Androus is a Registered Nurse from Sacramento, California. NBC 6's Xochitl Hernandez has more on what the student had to say in an interview you'll see Only on 6. 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. Transcripts can be sent via secure PDF directly from the issuing institution to Admissions Email Us. 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. Nurse Suicides: Unveiling the Shrouds of Silence. : 23-60012-Cr-Singhal. Palm Beach State College (PBSC) requires all incoming students, whether first year She graduated from California State University, Sacramento in 2000 with a bachelor's degree in nursing. Fourteen of those charged are linked to the Palm Beach County school. This case is being prosecuted in conjunction with a related criminal matter in the District of Maryland. 12/20/2022) Record Copy - Records Management Duplicate - School/Department . Up to 7,600 fraudulent diplomas were sold at $15,000 each, authorities said. Transcripts should be complete showing all final grades and final graduation date. There are two categories of defendants. such as Joseph Silny and Associates, Inc. or World Education Services can be accessed Some schools will accept notarized copies of your own documents along with "proof" of the school's destruction. Crimes such as these unfortunately continue to spring up, especially in this area. or transfer students, to submit all official academic transcripts from every high and Pharmacy Technician Certification. 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. PBSD 1457 (Rev. 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 $100 million or roughly $15,000 per diploma, federal prosecutors said. DOJ accuses former nursing school operators of selling fraudulent Registration for summer & fall classes is open! MIAMI Federal authorities in Florida have charged 25 people with participating in a wire fraud scheme that created an illegal shortcut for aspiring nurses to get licensed and find employment. 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. Recruiters would bring "students" from other states to get the "shortcut" documents from the South Florida school. The students paid a total of $114 million for the fake degrees between 2016 and 2021, the newspaper reported. The indictment alleges that these defendants solicited and recruited individuals who sought nursing credentials to gain employment as an RN or LPN/VN. 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. The School District of Palm Beach County serves more than 189,000 students who speak 150 languages and dialects. Your email address will not be published. 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. Home / Nursing Articles / How Do I Get Transcripts from a Nursing School That Has Closed? Sacred Heart International Institute. 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. Investigators said about a third of the people actually are practicing medicine. Telephone or Fax requests will not be honored. How Do Nurses Protect Themselves from Highly Infectious Patients? Crimes such as these unfortunately continue to spring up, especially in this area. Practical Nursing Program Specific Requirements 1. If they passed, they were able to obtain licenses and jobs in various states, prosecutors said. Copyright 2002-2023 Blackboard, Inc. All rights reserved. No students were named in the indictments. 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 . Carleen Health institute In Fort Lauderdale, Fl need make copies and return original documents to applicants in person. We are an A-rated School District with 335 Choice & Career Programs. Nursing School Scam Leads To Indictments For Palm Beach County 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. She currently works as a charge nurse in a busy outpatient primary care department. In fact, the aspiring nurses never completed the necessary courses and clinicals. 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. Applicants must meet the following requirements before being accepted: Be at least 18 years old. : 23-60007-Cr-Singhal. 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. Submit & Share. at transcriptevaluation@palmbeachstate.edu. She was not named in the indictment. Have a question about Government Services? 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. President and Employee of Ft. Lauderdale Business Indicted for 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. 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. 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. Latest posts by Amanda Bucceri Androus, RN, BSN. Your email address will not be published. Attend class in person, virtually Students applying to a Limited Access Program (Nursing, Fire Science, EMT, Etc.) All trademarks are the property of their respective trademark holders. Required fields are marked *. Nurses certified in New York are allowed to practice in Florida and many other states. 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. *Diplomas are not accepted as proof of high school completion or in place of transcripts. 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). All rights reserved. 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. 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.. Siena College. The diploma and transcripts arrived less than two weeks later from Palm Beach School of Nursing, showing a 3.4 grade point average. 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. USAFLS.News@usdoj.gov, Southern District of Florida Student Speaks Out After Palm Beach School of Nursing Busted for 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. The charging documents describe Siena College as a Broward County school licensed by the Florida Commission for Independent Education and the Florida Board of Nursing that offers a Practical Nursing Program and an RN to Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program. Core Values Christ-centered : 23-60010-Cr-Smith, U.S. v. Etienne, case no. Note: Transcripts need to show a graduation date to be considered complete and official. When it was dissolved in 2020, the address w 1110 Sixth Ave. S. in Lake Worth Beach. or both | Get started now. Fraudulent Nursing Diploma Scheme Leads to Federal Charges Against 25 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. Prez said investigators have not found, however, that any of the nurses caused harm to patients. "It's a monster.". Etienne is charged by information with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. West Palm Beach School Of Nursing - NursingTalk.net PLEASE NOTE: The contents of this website are for informational purposes only. Fax Line: (305) 530-7679. 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," U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Markenzy Lapointe said in Miami, adding that "a fraud scheme like this erodes public trust in our health care system.". Pay a non-refundable application fee of $150.00. Ten people helped recruit people looking to obtain fake degrees. Request in PersonIn person requests are BY APPOINTMENT ONLY - to view the calendar for times/dates available and to schedule your visit. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. 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,. We encourage our customers to save time and take advantage of online services by going to Parchment. 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. Defendants in each case face wire fraud-related charges. Register today to attend this free webcast! And when I asked for the transcript, they sent us a fake transcript," she said. 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. admissions@palmbeachstate.edu. Our mission is to educate, affirm, and inspire each student in an equity-embedded school system. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Clark is prosecuting this case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Grosnoff is handling asset forfeiture. 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. Around 2,400 of those people then passed a licensing exam to obtain jobs as registered nurses and . "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.