Fraudulent Diploma Scheme ‘Tarnishes the Reputation of Nurses’

Three Florida schools made millions by issuing thousands of fake nursing degrees.

Twenty-five people face criminal charges after doling out more than 7,600 bogus nursing diplomas from three now-closed Southern Florida schools in exchange for cash, according to federal prosecutors.

Fake transcripts and diplomas were issued by Sienna College, Palm Beach School of Nursing and Sacred Heart International Institute. The documents allowed those who purchased them to sit for national nursing board exams and, if they passed them, to obtain licenses and jobs as registered nurses or licensed practical/vocational nurses in multiple states across the country, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

“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,” says Southern District of Florida U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe. “A fraud scheme like this erodes public trust in our healthcare system.”

”What is disturbing about this investigation is that there are more than 7,600 people around the country with fraudulent nursing credentials who are potentially in critical healthcare roles treating patients,” adds Chad Yarborough, acting special agent in charge of the FBI’s Miami office.

Each defendant faces up to 20 years in prison. The Miami Herald reported the scam ran from 2016 to 2021 and the students paid a total of $114 million for the fraudulent documents. The Associate Press cited federal officials who said about 2,400 of the purchasers passed licensing exams, mainly in New York, which makes them eligible to practice in multiple states. Many will likely lose their certification but might not be criminally charged, the federal officials told the AP.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office release did not note any incidents in which patients were harmed by the healthcare workers in question. The office didn’t respond to a request for additional information. OSM