Fax Line: (305) 530-7679. She said a normal nursing school program lasts 22 months and can equate to four years at a large university. 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). The fake diplomas and transcripts qualified those who purchased them to sit for the national nursing board exam. Prez said investigators have not found, however, that any of the nurses caused harm to patients. 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. all right, chris, thank you. 33132, Telephone: (305) 961-9001 This new webcast will discuss how campus public safety leaders can effectively incorporate Clery Act, Title IX, customer service, helicopter parents, emergency notification, town-gown relationships, brand management, Greek Life, student recruitment, faculty, and more into their roles and develop the necessary skills to successfully lead their departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Clark is prosecuting this case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Grosnoff is handling asset forfeiture. 2023 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. Email Us. 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. Wenn Sie Ihre Auswahl anpassen mchten, klicken Sie auf Datenschutzeinstellungen verwalten. (payment by credit card only). Palm Beach State College prefers that transcripts be submitted electronically. The other group included owners, operators and employees of nursing schools to fake diplomas and transcripts. U.S. Attorneys Office Home / Nursing Articles / How Do I Get Transcripts from a Nursing School That Has Closed? Some schools will accept notarized copies of your own documents along with "proof" of the school's destruction. 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. 99 N.E. Applicants must meet the following requirements before being accepted: Be at least 18 years old. 4th Street Please note that Palm Beach State College will only accept original educational records High School Graduate GED Student Home Education Graduate Out of Country Credentials College/University Transfer Student They were charged with conspiring to and committing wire fraud, prosecutors said. We are an A-rated School District with 335 Choice & Career Programs. Charges Related to Fraudulent Nursing Diplomas and Transcripts fromSacred Heart International Institute, U.S. v. Jean, et al., case no. For example, the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE), which provides oversight of California's private postsecondary education institutions, is a depository for many closed schools and former students can request official transcripts from the archives. or both | Get started now. In fact, the aspiring nurses never completed the necessary courses and clinicals. * Diplomas are not accepted as proof of high school completion or in place of transcripts. After passing the exam, they became eligible to become licensed in several states, where they eventually found jobs as licensednurses. "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. 2023 Emerald X, LLC. 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. The bleeding here is to stop those schools from being able to put more fraudulent diplomas out in the public sphere.". 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 "Nothing, nothing. 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. The bleeding here is to stop those schools from being able to put more fraudulent diplomas out in the public sphere.". Charges Related to Fraudulent Nursing Diplomas and Transcripts from Sacred Heart International Institute, U.S. v. Jean, et al., case no. U.S. v. Russ, et al., case no. 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. PBSD 1457 (Rev. There are two categories of defendants. Nurses certified in New York are allowed to practice in Florida and many other states. The indictment alleges that these defendants solicited and recruited individuals who sought nursing credentials to gain employment as an RN or LPN/VN. The Palm Beach County school, which operated on 2695 N. Military Trail in West Palm Beach, offered an Associate in Science degree. Transcripts should be complete showing all final grades and final graduation date. What Happens When a Nurse Has a Substance Abuse Problem? The Palm Beach County school, which operated on 2695 N. Military Trail in West Palm Beach, offered an Associate in Science degree. 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. In fact, the aspiring nurses never completed the necessary courses and clinicals. These Valuable Pennies Are Worth Thousands. 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). 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. 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. 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.. I would say that based on the rapid proliferation of online training programs that started well before COVID-19 but have definitely increased since COVID-19 just because of the difficulties we've had with being able to have in-person training, we know that there's going to be a higher chance that some of these people are going to slip through the cracks," Bernard said. 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. 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 authorities, the . 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. Phone: (561)683-1400. 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. FBI Miami and HHS-OIG Miami investigated these cases. 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. RegisteredNursing.org does not guarantee the accuracy or results of any of this information. 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. There is a $5.00 non-refundable fee for each official transcript requested. Now Brown is left wondering about all the money she spent and whether or not she can get it all back. 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. Submit & Share. 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. Napoleon was previously charged by information and has pled guilty to conspiring to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, as well as wire fraud (case nos. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. Practical Nursing Program Specific Requirements 1. list of approved agencies is located at www.NACES.org/members (Applications for agencies Now theyve filed complaints with their state attorneys to try and see how they can get their money back. Note: Transcripts need to show a graduation date to be considered complete and official. 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. : 23-60005-Cr-Smith, U.S. v. Sanon, case no. palm beach school of nursing is located in West Palm Beach, FL, but also offers classes online. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. She was not named in the indictment. AICE, AP, IB, or CLEP Please submit these transcripts electronically to transcriptevaluation@palmbeachstate.edu. 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. Fourteen of those charged are linked to the Palm Beach County school. Registration for summer & fall classes is open! All rights reserved. With the help of the fake degrees the nurses found jobs at nursing homes that took in Medicare and Medicaid-eligible patients. or transfer students, to submit all official academic transcripts from every high In fact, the aspiring nurses never completed the necessary courses and clinicals. *Diplomas are not accepted as proof of high school completion or in place of transcripts. Each defendant faces up to 20 years in prison. Etienne is charged by information with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Transcripts must be ordered online through services provided by Credentials Solutions The school was licensed with the Florida Board of. If they passed, they were able to obtain licenses and jobs in various states,. 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. Promote excellence in nursing by enabling future and current nurses with the education and employment resources they need to succeed. Take a Look, Police Reunite Parents With Toddler Found Wandering in Miramar, A Toxic Plant Was Removed From a Miami Park. Documentation of successful completion of post-secondary. The indictment alleges that Witherspoon, Sellu, and Bernadelsolicited and recruited individuals who sought nursing credentials to gain employment as an RN or LPN/VN. Around 2,400 of those people then passed a licensing exam to obtain jobs as registered nurses and . All schools are now defunct. We will temporarily accept (due to COVID-19) clear copies of your high school diploma 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. 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. In her spare time she likes to read, travel, write, and spend time with her husband and two children. 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. 22-60111-Cr-Smith and 22-60118-Cr-Smith). Exams were taken in Florida, New York, New Jersey and Texas. To be considered for a credit evaluation, applicants must have 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. 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. These schools are now closed. 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. The Department of Justice along with the Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General carried out the investigation, dubbed Operation Nightingale. Attend class in person, virtually Students should download and print theHome Education Graduation Affidavit form. Some schools will accept notarized copies of your own documents along with "proof" of the school's destruction. Nurse Suicides: Unveiling the Shrouds of Silence. Group ranks health care industry's lowlights in 2022, FDA vaccine panel to consider annual COVID shots, Florida doc sentenced to 20 years in prison, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy, The DOJ is prosecuting participants in the alleged scheme in five separate cases. hide caption. According to three recently unsealed indictments returned by a South Florida federal grand jury and two informations filed by federal prosecutors, defendants engaged in a scheme to sell fraudulent nursing degree diplomas and transcripts obtained from accredited Florida-based nursing schools to individuals seeking licenses and jobs as registered nurses (RNs) and licensed practical/vocational nurses (LPN/VNs). Related: HHS: Insiders Pose Significant Cybersecurity Threat to Healthcare. 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. Each defendant faces up to 20 years in prison. 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. Two co-defendants, Geralda Adrien and Woosvelt Predestin, also completed online courses on behalf of the fake degree purchasers. Fourteen of those charged are linked to the Palm Beach County school. Students applying to a Limited Access Program (Nursing, Fire Science, EMT, Etc.) The College will 'Operation Nightingale' also targeted 2 schools in Broward County. 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). How Do I Get Transcripts from a Nursing School That Has Closed? Stop the bleeding. The indictment alleges that these defendants solicited and recruited individuals who sought nursing credentials to gain employment as an RN or LPN/VN. 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. Brown, along with several students, left the program when they realized it was a scam. To be evaluated, all required transcripts need to be submitted from all institutions 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. U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Florida, Fraudulent Nursing Diploma Scheme Leads to Federal Charges Against 25 Defendants, South Florida Marketer Sentenced to Prison Term for Buying and Selling Over 2.6 Million Medicare Beneficiary Identification Numbers, South Florida Marketer Pleads Guilty to Role in Scheme Involving Purchase and Sale of Millions of Medicare Beneficiary Identification Numbers, Ardid de Estafa de Diploma de Enfermera Conduce a la Detencin de Ms de Dos Docenas de Acusados. The news stunned Brown, but she said she always thought something was a little sketchy about her online degree program. Telephone or Fax requests will not be honored. They were charged with conspiring to and committing wire fraud, prosecutors said. About 7,600 students paid an average of $15,000 for bogus diplomas, according to prosecutors. In fact, the aspiring nurses never completed the necessary courses and clinicals. Pay a non-refundable application fee of $150.00. The other schools named are the Sacred Heart Institute in Fort Lauderdale in Sienna College of Health in Lauderhill in the investigation dubbed "Operation Nightingale" after legendary nurse Florence Nightingale. This school offers training in 4 qualifications, with the most reviewed qualifications being Registered Nurse , C.N.A. 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. According to the charging documents, Palm Beach School of Nursing's objective was to prepare students to meet Florida's licensing and nursing board requirements and become eligible to take the national licensing exam in order to work as registered nurses. school or college/university attended. 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. Fax: (561)683-6773. First, create an account, then place the order. Some of those who purchased degrees were from South Florida's Haitian-American community, including some with legitimate LPN licenses who wanted to become registered nurses, the Miami Herald reported. 25 people were charged wednesday . The charges speak to the purpose of a nursing license which is to protect the public from harm by setting minimum qualifications and competencies. 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. The School District of Palm Beach County serves more than 189,000 students who speak 150 languages and dialects. Napoleon already pleaded guilty to wire and health care fraud charges, the DOJ said. Attorneys for defendants were not listed in a federal court database Thursday. Former student's full name (including maiden name, if applicable); Purpose of the request (employment, education or personal use), Address, fax or email to send the records to; and. She currently works as a charge nurse in a busy outpatient primary care department. The Florida Board of Nursing requires a criminal background check for all applicants seeking licensure. The Palm Beach County school, which operated on 2695 N. Military Trail in West Palm Beach, offered an Associate in Science degree. RELATED: Considering & Choosing a Nursing School. These schools are now closed. Students shouldcomplete anonline request for Florida GED Transcript. What If My Nursing School Isnt Accredited? Charges Related to Fraudulent Nursing Diplomas and Transcripts fromSiena College. South Florida Sports Headlines Newsletter. 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.". 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. 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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. 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. of International Admissions at international@palmbeachstate.edu. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way, South Florida Sports Headlines Newsletter. The other 10 charged were listed as recruiters, including seven from New Jersey or New York. Photo: google. "What do we learn when somebody gets injured? Lock from outside of the United States of America. Parent signatures for minors. 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. Adrien and Predestin are also named as co-conspirators in the Siena College case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Clark is prosecuting this case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Grosnoff is handling asset forfeiture. Fraudulent degrees qualified recipients to take the national nursing board exam. 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. . The School District of Palm Beach County Records Management 3300 Forest Hill Blvd., Suite B-201 West Palm Beach, FL 33406-5870 Email: recordsmanagement@palmbeachschools.org Phone: (561) 434-8550 Fax: (561) 434-8660