The Palm Beach County school, which operated on 2695 N. Military Trail in West Palm Beach, offered an Associate in Science degree. In fact, the aspiring nurses never completed the necessary courses and clinicals. 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. All rights reserved. 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. Dr. Rebekah Bernard with the nonprofit Physicians for Patient Protection said its not surprising this is happening after the pandemic. 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. Siena College. The indictment alleges that these defendants solicited and recruited individuals who sought nursing credentials to gain employment as an RN or LPN/VN. (payment by credit card only). No students were named in the indictments. These Valuable Pennies Are Worth Thousands. Take a Look, Police Reunite Parents With Toddler Found Wandering in Miramar, A Toxic Plant Was Removed From a Miami Park. Published on January 27, 2023 12:17 AM. Charges Related to Fraudulent Nursing Diplomas and Transcripts from Palm Beach School of Nursing. The College will NOTICE: Under Florida law, email addresses are public record. official to Admissions at. In her spare time she likes to read, travel, write, and spend time with her husband and two children. "It's a monster.". The schools involved Siena College, Palm Beach School of Nursing and Sacred Heart International Institute are now closed. Fax: (561)683-6773. 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). To be evaluated, all required transcripts need to be submitted from all institutions 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. 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.. "I like to help people," said Brown, who concealed her face and didn't want to give her real name. South Florida Sports Headlines Newsletter. 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 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 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. 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. Napoleon received largepayments for providing the fake diplomas, in one case taking in a $30,000 wire transfer from a co-defendant in 2021. 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.. NOTE: International students applying for F1 Visa / I-20 are advised to contact the office EunideSanon managed Siena College. 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.. FBI Miami and HHS-OIG Miami investigated these cases. Nurse Suicides: Unveiling the Shrouds of Silence. Parent signatures for minors. An official website of the United States government. 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. Your Photos. 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. Charges Related to Fraudulent Nursing Diplomas and Transcripts from Palm Beach School of Nursing. She said a normal nursing school program lasts 22 months and can equate to four years at a large university. 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. 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 . 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. 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. Palm Beach State College (PBSC) requires all incoming students, whether first year Many of those people may lose their certification but likely won't be criminally charged, federal officials said. A locked padlock Upon request, Admissions staff will Now theyve filed complaints with their state attorneys to try and see how they can get their money back. To be considered for a credit evaluation, applicants must have 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. Practical Nursing Program Description don@palmbeachintcollege.com Associate Of Science In Nursing Degree Program (ASN) A copy of your driver license, state ID, or other form of photo identification showing your name, date of birth and signature is required. The Florida Board of Nursing requires a criminal background check for all applicants seeking licensure. The fake diplomas and transcripts qualified those who purchased them to sit for the national nursing board exam. Fourteen of those charged are linked to the Palm Beach County school. Submit & Share. hide caption. 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. Amanda Bucceri Androus is a Registered Nurse from Sacramento, California. Main Office: 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. at admissions@palmbeachstate.edu. Provide a copy of Driver's License, Passport, or State Issued ID Card and a Social Security Card. 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. 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. Charges Related to Fraudulent Nursing Diplomas and Transcripts from Sacred Heart International Institute, U.S. v. Jean, et al., case no. They were charged with conspiring to and committing wire fraud, prosecutors said. 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. Postsecondary Career & Technical Education (CTE) Transcript Request, Blackboard Web Community Manager Privacy Policy (Updated). 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. "I see it as rewarding.". 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. 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. Email Us. 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. About 7,600 students paid an average of $15,000 for bogus diplomas, according to prosecutors. 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.

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