palm beach school of nursing transcripts

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. U.S. v. Russ, et al., case no. Fax Line: (305) 530-7679. 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. They were charged with conspiring to and committing wire fraud, prosecutors said. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 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. Charges Related to Fraudulent Nursing Diplomas and Transcripts fromSacred Heart International Institute, U.S. v. Jean, et al., case no. 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. to ensure that transcripts are submitted a minimum of two weeks prior to the specific 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. 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. 12/20/2022) Record Copy - Records Management Duplicate - School/Department . 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. : 23-60012-Cr-Singhal. Required fields are marked *. submitted as .pdf attachments. Dr. Rebekah Bernard with the nonprofit Physicians for Patient Protection said its not surprising this is happening after the pandemic. The copies will need to be certified Recruiters would bring "students" from other states to get the "shortcut" documents from the South Florida school. There are additional handling fees for paper transcripts. The Palm Beach County school, which operated on 2695 N. Military Trail in West Palm Beach, offered an Associate in Science degree. Palm Beach International College | Admissions The College will More than 7,600 fraudulent diplomas were allegedly issued by three nursing schools in South Florida. 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.". If they passed, they were able to obtain licenses and jobs in various states,. Charges Related to Fraudulent Nursing Diplomas and Transcripts from Palm Beach School of Nursing. USAFLS.News@usdoj.gov, Southern District of Florida Exams were taken in Florida, New York, New Jersey and Texas. Lock The Palm Beach County school, which operated on 2695 N. Military Trail in West Palm Beach, offered an Associate in Science degree. Applicants must meet the following requirements before being accepted: Be at least 18 years old. Palm Beach International College | Programs 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! 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. Phone: (561)683-1400. 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. 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 School of Nursing | Palm Beach Atlantic University Campus District Upcoming Events april27 Postsecondary Career & Technical Education (CTE) Transcript Request, Blackboard Web Community Manager Privacy Policy (Updated). Promote excellence in nursing by enabling future and current nurses with the education and employment resources they need to succeed. Our Platform. She said a normal nursing school program lasts 22 months and can equate to four years at a large university. Charges Related to Fraudulent Nursing Diplomas and Transcripts from Palm Beach School of Nursing. 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. 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. Carleen Health institute In Fort Lauderdale, Fl "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. Palm Beach State College (PBSC) requires all incoming students, whether first year or transfer students, to submit all official academic transcripts from every high school or college/university attended. Federal indictment over fake Florida nursing diplomas leaves 26 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. Lois M. Gackenheimer Richards, PhD Ed, MSN, RN. Note: Transcripts need to show a graduation date to be considered complete and official. Two business people charged with selling fake nursing degrees | 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. An official website of the United States government. She was not named in the indictment. According to authorities, the . : 23-60010-Cr-Smith, U.S. v. Etienne, case no. 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. Executive Director / President. 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.. Official websites use .gov Exams were taken in Florida, New York, New Jersey and Texas. Transcripts need to show a graduation date to be considered complete and official. If you do not want your email addresses released in response to a public records request, do not send electronic mail to this entity. of International Admissions at international@palmbeachstate.edu. Please note that Palm Beach State College will only accept original educational records Secure .gov websites use HTTPS From Nov. 2020 to July 2021, Charles Etienne, owner of Sacred Heart International Institute, and two others provided purchasers with 588 fake diplomas and transcripts. Photo: google. Brown, along with several students, left the program when they realized it was a scam. West Palm Beach School Of Nursing - NursingTalk.net Can You Be Referred to as a Doctor If You Earn a DNP? The Palm Beach County school, which operated on 2695 N. Military Trail in West Palm Beach, offered an Associate in Science degree. Students shouldcomplete anonline request for Florida GED Transcript. 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. 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. 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. Southern District of Florida make copies and return original documents to applicants in person. : 23-60005-Cr-Smith, U.S. v. Sanon, case no. and Pharmacy Technician Certification. Charges Related to Fraudulent Nursing Diplomas and Transcripts from Palm Beach School of Nursing. MIAMI 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. Attend class in person, virtually 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. For more information, visitpalmbeachstate.edu/admissions/credit-by-exam. "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. FBI Miami and HHS-OIG Miami investigated these cases. 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. 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. Fraudulent degrees qualified recipients to take the national nursing board exam. "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. Your email address will not be published. When it was dissolved in 2020, the address w 1110 Sixth Ave. S. in Lake Worth Beach. Officials are trying to track down nurses with fake degrees from Fla the issuing institution. PBSD 1457 (Rev. What If My Nursing School Isnt Accredited? 4th Street Napoleon received largepayments for providing the fake diplomas, in one case taking in a $30,000 wire transfer from a co-defendant in 2021. Authorities said students paid between $6,000 and $18,000 for fake transcripts and certificates. NBC 6's Xochitl Hernandez has more on what the student had to say in an interview you'll see Only on 6. In 2021, an undercover FBI employee met with Fort Lauderdale businessman Geralda Adrien at her Fort Lauderdale office. at transcriptevaluation@palmbeachstate.edu. Around 2,400 of those people then passed a licensing exam to obtain jobs as registered nurses and . 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. Each defendant faces up to 20 years in prison. U.S. v. Russ, et al., case no. 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. Each defendant faces up to 20 years in prison. She currently works as a charge nurse in a busy outpatient primary care department. 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. This discussion will help participants analyze, understand, and assess their own program effectiveness. "Tuition, I paid $16,000, not to mention I had to pay $99 to sit the exam," Brown said. Recruiters would bring "students" from other states to get the "shortcut" documents from the South Florida school. RegisteredNursing.org does not guarantee the accuracy or results of any of this information. Siena College, the Palm Beach School of Nursing and Sacred Heart International Institute allegedly handed out more than 7,600 fake diplomas between 2016 and 2021. The Palm Beach County school, which operated on 2695 N. Military Trail in West Palm Beach, offered an Associate in Science degree. : 23-60010-Cr-Smith, U.S. v. Etienne, case no. D.A. Take a Look, Police Reunite Parents With Toddler Found Wandering in Miramar, A Toxic Plant Was Removed From a Miami Park. Submission of college transcripts from postsecondary institutions outside the United 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). date. A current The indictment alleges that Witherspoon, Sellu, and Bernadelsolicited and recruited individuals who sought nursing credentials to gain employment as an RN or LPN/VN. Transcript Request - Florida Department of Education Submit & Share. States is optional. 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. "What do we learn when somebody gets injured? Copy of pictured ID of adult student or parent guardian. This case is being prosecuted in conjunction with a related criminal matter in the District of Maryland. 33132, Telephone: (305) 961-9001 two in broward county and the palm beach school of nursing in west palm beach. FBI Miami and HHS-OIG Miami investigated these cases. Charges Related to Fraudulent Nursing Diplomas and Transcripts from Sacred Heart International Institute, U.S. v. Jean, et al., case no. Ten people helped recruit people looking to obtain fake degrees. There are two categories of defendants. 25 people were charged wednesday . 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. Transcripts must be ordered online through services provided by Credentials Solutions Fake Nursing School Degrees? Here's What We Know About The Federal Individuals bought their fake nursing credentials for up to $15,000. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, Public Affairs Unit Former student's signature, if 18 or over. Stop the bleeding. 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. Wenn Sie Ihre Auswahl anpassen mchten, klicken Sie auf Datenschutzeinstellungen verwalten. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way, South Florida Sports Headlines Newsletter. Email Us. The U.S. Department of Justice announced . In her spare time she likes to read, travel, write, and spend time with her husband and two children. Student Speaks Out After Palm Beach School of Nursing Busted for Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. The schools involved Siena College, Palm Beach School of Nursing and Sacred Heart International Institute are now closed. : 23-60013-Cr-Moreno. 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. And when I asked for the transcript, they sent us a fake transcript," she said. After passing the exam, they became eligible to become licensed in several states, where they eventually found jobs as licensednurses. Register today to attend this free webcast! 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 . Transcripts should be complete showing all final grades and final graduation date. at admissions@palmbeachstate.edu. We will temporarily accept (due to COVID-19) clear copies of your high school diploma Siena College was a school in Broward County, Florida that was licensed by the states board of nursing and its independent education commission to offer practical nursing and Bachelor of Science in Nursing programs. "They are monsters because you have to have clinical experience to do medication, to give IV, you can kill somebody," she said. 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. Charges Related to Fraudulent Nursing Diplomas and Transcripts from Palm Beach School of Nursing. No students were named in the indictments. 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. 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. These schools are now closed. The 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. 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. palm beach school of nursing is located in West Palm Beach, FL, but also offers classes online. 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 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.. Crimes such as these unfortunately continue to spring up, especially in this area. 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.. When Lucy Brown signed up for the Palm Beach School of Nursing, she thought she made the right choice. *Diplomas are not accepted as proof of high school completion or in place of transcripts. To be considered for a credit evaluation, applicants must have "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 said Wednesday. (payment by credit card only). 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. The School of Nursing offers bachelor's, master's and doctoral programs, features state-of-the-art lab resources and offers students a holistic approach to the nursing profession. 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. 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. by either the U.S. Consulate or the Ministry of Education in the applicants country. The seven nurses used the diplomas to become licensed nurses in Ohio, New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts. 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.. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Clark is prosecuting this case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Grosnoff is handling asset forfeiture. hide caption. In fact, the aspiring nurses never completed the necessary courses and clinicals. How Do Nurses Protect Themselves from Highly Infectious Patients? 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. President and Employee of Ft. Lauderdale Business Indicted for 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. About 2,400 of the 7,600 students eventually passed their licensing exams mainly in New York, federal officials said. South Florida schools accused of selling fake nursing diplomas Pay a non-refundable application fee of $150.00. list of approved agencies is located at www.NACES.org/members (Applications for agencies Carleen Health Institute of South Florida Nursing and Healthcare Programs Plantation Campus 8320 West Sunrise Blvd, Suite #204 Plantation, FL 33322 Get directions West Palm Beach Campus 4645 Gun Club Road, #11 West Palm Beach, FL 33415 (561)656-4720 Get directions 'Operation Nightingale' also targeted 2 schools in Broward County. Investigators said about a third of the people actually are practicing medicine. When a school closes, they are required to select a permanent custodian of their records for later retrieval. 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.". 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. 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. 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.

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