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. 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. 2023 Registered Nursing.org All Rights Reserved | About | Privacy | Terms | Contact Us. 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. Out of State Public Schools and Private Schools Transcripts can be sent via Secure PDF directly from the school official to Admissions "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. To report waste, fraud, corruption, or abuse, please call the Inspector General Hotline: (855) 561-1010. 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. If they passed, they were able to obtain licenses and jobs in various states, prosecutors said. 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. 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. Diplomas are not accepted as proof of high school completion or in place of transcripts. To order a high school transcript electronically, visitParchment. 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. 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. There are two categories of defendants. : 23-60007-Cr-Singhal. All trademarks are the property of their respective trademark holders. This case is being prosecuted in conjunction with a related criminal matter in the District of Maryland. Your email address will not be published. Documentation of successful completion of post-secondary. to request a transcript. at [email protected]. Investigators said about a third of the people actually are practicing medicine. Bei der Nutzung unserer Websites und Apps verwenden wir, unsere Websites und Apps fr Sie bereitzustellen, Nutzer zu authentifizieren, Sicherheitsmanahmen anzuwenden und Spam und Missbrauch zu verhindern, und, Ihre Nutzung unserer Websites und Apps zu messen, personalisierte Werbung und Inhalte auf der Grundlage von Interessenprofilen anzuzeigen, die Effektivitt von personalisierten Anzeigen und Inhalten zu messen, sowie, unsere Produkte und Dienstleistungen zu entwickeln und zu verbessern. "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. Photo: google. 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. "Tuition, I paid $16,000, not to mention I had to pay $99 to sit the exam," Brown said. Adrien and Predestin are also named as co-conspirators in the Siena College case. Individuals with prior criminal circumstances on their background check may not be eligible for licensure or employment. Tags Health News Florida nurse nursing school fraud arrest Broward County 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 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. Promote excellence in nursing by enabling future and current nurses with the education and employment resources they need to succeed. Brown, along with several students, left the program when they realized it was a scam. : 23-60005-Cr-Smith, U.S. v. Sanon, case no. : 23-60007-Cr-Singhal. 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. date. 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). Practical Nursing Program Specific Requirements 1. Exams were taken in Florida, New York, New Jersey and Texas. 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. RegisteredNursing.org does not guarantee the accuracy or results of any of this information. Students should download and print theHome Education Graduation Affidavit form. She graduated from California State University, Sacramento in 2000 with a bachelor's degree in nursing. Defendants in each case face wire fraud-related charges. 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. 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. 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. Practical Nursing Program Description [email protected] Associate Of Science In Nursing Degree Program (ASN) 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. Students shouldcomplete anonline request for Florida GED Transcript. or transfer students, to submit all official academic transcripts from every high After passing the exam, they became eligible to become licensed in several states, where they eventually found jobs as licensednurses. Have a question about Government Services? The schools involved Siena College, Palm Beach School of Nursing and Sacred Heart International Institute are now closed. Many of those people may lose their certification but likely won't be criminally charged, federal officials said. The Palm Beach County school, which operated on 2695 N. Military Trail in West Palm Beach, offered an Associate in Science degree. Each defendant faces up to 20 years in prison. A credit card is needed for theeTranscriptfee, which is $5.90. Now theyve filed complaints with their state attorneys to try and see how they can get their money back. Varela/Miami Herald via AP 25 people were charged wednesday . program application deadline to ensure timely review. 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 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 County with conspiring to and committing wire fraud. The charges speak to the purpose of a nursing license which is to protect the public from harm by setting minimum qualifications and competencies. 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. hide transcript show transcript. 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. Official websites use .gov Some schools will accept notarized copies of your own documents along with "proof" of the school's destruction. Additionally, companies such as Parchment provide services for transcript recovery for a nominal fee and can even provide official digital copies to the school directly. Stop the bleeding. This discussion will help participants analyze, understand, and assess their own program effectiveness. Each defendant faces up to 20 years in prison. . When a school closes, they are required to select a permanent custodian of their records for later retrieval. Closed Palm Beach School of Nursing linked to federal arrests in diploma scheme, Tornado that tore through Palm Beach Gardens had winds of at least 100 mph, Trees toppled, homes damaged, cars overturned in tornado, Tornado tosses boat from cove onto lawn in North Palm Beach, Unofficial Boca Bash to draw thousands of boaters Sunday, Cleanup underway after tornado rips through North Palm Beach neighborhood, Verhaeghe scores in OT as Panthers eliminate Bruins from playoffs, Butler, Heat start semifinals with 108-101 win over Knicks, National Weather Service upgrades tornado to EF2 with peak winds of 130 mph. Email Us. 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. These Valuable Pennies Are Worth Thousands. 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. Wenn Sie Ihre Auswahl anpassen mchten, klicken Sie auf Datenschutzeinstellungen verwalten. 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. 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. 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 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). 2023 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. Charges Related to Fraudulent Nursing Diplomas and Transcripts from Palm Beach School of Nursing. U.S. v. Russ, et al., case no. [email protected], Southern District of Florida a course-by-course commercial evaluation completed by an approved agency. With the help of the fake degrees the nurses found jobs at nursing homes that took in Medicare and Medicaid-eligible patients. There are two categories of defendants. 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. 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.. The students paid a total of $114 million for the fake degrees between 2016 and 2021, the newspaper reported. 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. Former student's signature, if 18 or over. Request in PersonIn person requests are BY APPOINTMENT ONLY - to view the calendar for times/dates available and to schedule your visit. She currently works as a charge nurse in a busy outpatient primary care department. 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 . In fact, the aspiring nurses never completed the necessary courses and clinicals. Palm Beach State College prefers that transcripts be submitted electronically from THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OF PALM BEACH COUNTY INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (IT) / RECORDS MANAGEMENT. or both | Get started now. "It's a monster.". 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. 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! Home / Nursing Articles / How Do I Get Transcripts from a Nursing School That Has Closed? : 23-60012-Cr-Singhal. Crimes such as these unfortunately continue to spring up, especially in this area. 33132, Telephone: (305) 961-9001 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. 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. 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. [email protected]. The fake diplomas and transcripts qualified those who purchased them to sit for the national nursing board exam. Applicants must meet the following requirements before being accepted: Be at least 18 years old. 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 must be ordered online through services provided by Credentials Solutions The copies will need to be certified 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. Some schools will accept notarized copies of your own documents along with "proof" of the school's destruction. Submission of college transcripts from postsecondary institutions outside the United 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. What If My Nursing School Isnt Accredited? Krystal Lopez of Palm Beach County. The School District of Palm Beach County serves more than 189,000 students who speak 150 languages and dialects. Stop the bleeding. 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. Charges Related to Fraudulent Nursing Diplomas and Transcripts fromSiena College. Upon request, Admissions staff will The school was licensed with the Florida Board of. 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. 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.
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