Three South Florida nursing schools sold some 7,600 fake professional degrees for more than $100 million in a scam that has more than 20 people facing criminal charges, Federal authorities reported Wednesday
for a price of $15,000 eachthe owners and employees of these now-closed schools were selling fake nursing degrees, the Attorney General’s Office for the Southern District of Florida detailed.
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They also offered fraudulent transcripts that served thousands of people as “an illegal shortcut” to pass exams and “obtain licenses and jobs in various states as registered nurses and registered or vocational nurses.”
The “large-scale” scam was discovered as a result of the operation Nightingale, in honor of the British nurse Florence Nightingale. Twenty-five people residing in Florida, New York, New Jersey, Texas and Delaware have been charged with wire fraud, of whom 21 have been arrested. The defendants can face up to 20 years in prison.
According to the local station of Noticias Telemundo in Miami, the defendants earned about $114 million from the sale of false professional titles. The authorities estimate that these may be currently being used by 30% of the people who bought them.
How did the scam work?
The three schools that were part of the scam had the required accreditations. They are Sacred Heart International Institute, in Fort Lauderdale; Siena College of Health, in Lauderhill; and Palm Beach School of Nursing, in West Palm Beach, authorities said.
The plot started from the search and recruitment of people who wanted to obtain nursing licenses to apply for jobs in that field.
The false documentation, which included certificates, diplomas and academic records, indicated that the beneficiaries had attended the mentioned schools and “completed the necessary courses and clinics” to obtain them, although in fact it was a lie.
With these fake documents, thousands of people got jobs in various states across the country, according to authorities.
“There are more than 7,600 people across the country with fraudulent credentials”
Markenzy Lapointe, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, said the scam represents a health security problem that erodes public confidence in the United States health system.
“It also tarnishes the reputation of nurses who actually complete the demanding clinical work and course required to obtain their professional licenses and employment”, he lamented.
Florida is a leader in scams related to the health system and these are orchestrated by people looking for “a way to make easy money,” warned Chad Yarbrough, FBI Miami special agent who was in charge of the operation.
“What is disturbing about this investigation is that there are more than 7,600 people across the country with fraudulent nursing credentials who potentially perform critical healthcare roles treating patients“, said.
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“Had it not been for the diligence and hard work of the investigators in this case, the extent of this fraud may not have been discovered,” the agent added.
The sale and purchase of diplomas and certificates to unqualified persons “It is a crime that potentially endangers the health and safety of patients”asserted for his part the special agent Omar Pérez Aybar, of the Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services.
The investigation was led by this agency and by the FBI, although multiple other entities and agencies were involved.
