The bleeding here is to stop those schools from being able to put more fraudulent diplomas out in the public sphere.". 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.. The indictment alleges that Witherspoon, Sellu, and Bernadelsolicited and recruited individuals who sought nursing credentials to gain employment as an RN or LPN/VN. 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.. Postsecondary Career & Technical Education (CTE) Transcript Request, Blackboard Web Community Manager Privacy Policy (Updated). The other group included owners, operators and employees of nursing schools to fake diplomas and transcripts. "I like to help people," said Brown, who concealed her face and didn't want to give her real name. 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. hide transcript show transcript. school or college/university attended. Attorneys for defendants were not listed in a federal court database Thursday. Students applying to a Limited Access Program (Nursing, Fire Science, EMT, Etc.) hide caption. : 23-60007-Cr-Singhal. Two co-defendants, Geralda Adrien and Woosvelt Predestin, also completed online courses on behalf of the fake degree purchasers. A copy of your driver license, state ID, or other form of photo identification showing your name, date of birth and signature is required. There are two categories of defendants. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Clark is prosecuting this case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Grosnoff is handling asset forfeiture. She said a normal nursing school program lasts 22 months and can equate to four years at a large university. Around 2,400 of those people then passed a licensing exam to obtain jobs as registered nurses and . When Lucy Brown signed up for the Palm Beach School of Nursing, she thought she made the right choice. Phone: (561)683-1400. The Florida Board of Nursing requires a criminal background check for all applicants seeking licensure. Copyright 2002-2023 Blackboard, Inc. All rights reserved. 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.". In fact, the aspiring nurses never completed the necessary courses and clinicals. Charges Related to Fraudulent Nursing Diplomas and Transcripts from Palm Beach School of Nursing. Etienne is charged by information with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. 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.. West Palm Beach, FL 33417. 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. 99 N.E. 22-60111-Cr-Smith and 22-60118-Cr-Smith). Applicants must meet the following requirements before being accepted: Be at least 18 years old. "What do we learn when somebody gets injured? at admissions@palmbeachstate.edu. 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. 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. Transcripts need to show a graduation date to be considered complete and official. The other 10 charged were listed as recruiters, including seven from New Jersey or New York. Fraudulent degrees qualified recipients to take the national nursing board exam. and Pharmacy Technician Certification. 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. They were charged with conspiring to and committing wire fraud, prosecutors said. U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe speaks at a news conference in Miami on Wednesday about a network of nursing school operators, centered in South Florida, who allowed students to buy diplomas without the proper training. The students paid a total of $114 million for the fake degrees between 2016 and 2021, the newspaper reported. attended. NOTICE: Under Florida law, email addresses are public record. "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. need 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 court documents, 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. date. Miami, Fl. 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.". Submit & Share. 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. 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. Upon request, Admissions staff will About 2,400 of the 7,600 students eventually passed their licensing exams mainly in New York, federal officials said. Some schools will accept notarized copies of your own documents along with "proof" of the school's destruction. Wenn Sie Ihre Auswahl anpassen mchten, klicken Sie auf Datenschutzeinstellungen verwalten. Up to 7,600 fraudulent diplomas were sold at $15,000 each, authorities said. AICE, AP, IB, or CLEP Please submit these transcripts electronically to, Institutional Research & Effectiveness (IRE), online request for Florida GED Transcript, palmbeachstate.edu/admissions/credit-by-exam, Please request that transcripts be submitted electronically via, Transcripts can be sent via Secure PDF directly from the issuing institution school When it was dissolved in 2020, the address w 1110 Sixth Ave. S. in Lake Worth Beach. Each defendant faces up to 20 years in prison. Tags Health News Florida nurse nursing school fraud arrest Broward County 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. Charges Related to Fraudulent Nursing Diplomas and Transcripts from Palm Beach School of Nursing. The news stunned Brown, but she said she always thought something was a little sketchy about her online degree program. The school was licensed with the Florida Board of. The School District of Palm Beach County serves more than 189,000 students who speak 150 languages and dialects. All rights reserved. directly). Mailing address to submit official sealed transcripts: Palm Beach State College 4200 Congress Avenue, MS#13Lake Worth, FL 33461, Start of Top Menu - Press Esc key to Close. High School transcripts can be sent via secure PDF from the issuing institution to 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. Each defendant faces up to 20 years in prison. Siena College. 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. 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 issuing institution. 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. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. 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. Take a Look, Police Reunite Parents With Toddler Found Wandering in Miramar, A Toxic Plant Was Removed From a Miami Park. The School of Nursing prepares professional, competent nurses who are reflective, inquiring, able to apply nursing theory, processes and technical nursing skills within the context of the Christian worldview, while recognizing the global, pluralistic nature of society. 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. Napoleon received largepayments for providing the fake diplomas, in one case taking in a $30,000 wire transfer from a co-defendant in 2021. After passing the exam, they became eligible to become licensed in several states, where they eventually found jobs as licensednurses. We are an A-rated School District with 335 Choice & Career Programs. The U.S. Department of Justice announced . 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. Request in PersonIn person requests are BY APPOINTMENT ONLY - to view the calendar for times/dates available and to schedule your visit. 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. 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. There is a $5.00 non-refundable fee for each official transcript requested. Crimes such as these unfortunately continue to spring up, especially in this area. : 23-60007-Cr-Singhal. 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. Some schools will accept notarized copies of your own documents along with "proof" of the school's destruction. U.S. v. Witherspoon, et al., case no. For more information, visitpalmbeachstate.edu/admissions/credit-by-exam. 33132, Telephone: (305) 961-9001 Online tracking is available 24/7. 2018 School Referendum (Expiring 6/30/2023), African, African American, Latino, Holocaust, and Gender Studies, Elementary, Middle and High School Subject Areas, ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages), Implementation Plan for Required Instruction, Instructional Materials (Textbook) Adoption, International Baccalaureate (IB) Programs, McKinney-Vento Program (MVP) - Homelessness, Physical Education and Health (Elementary Schools), Physical Education, Health and Drivers Ed (Middle and High Schools), Reproductive Health and Disease Education, School Environmental Safety Incident Reporting (SESIR), Student Internship and Volunteer Opportunities, 2021-2022 School Grades and School Improvement Ratings, Certification - Military Veterans Pathway, Fingerprint/ Background Check/ Drug Testing, Compensation and Employee Information Services, Deputy Superintendent and Chief of Schools, Multicultural Education and Migrant Education Programs (MEP), (Diversity) Small, Minority and Women-Owned - Vendors/Suppliers, Coordinated Planning Agencies - Vendors / Suppliers, Link to Student Transcript / Records Request, Student Transcript / Records Request PBSD 1457.

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