25 People Charged in Fake Nursing Diploma Operation After Multi-State Law Enforcement Action
January 27, 2023 | Delaware, New Jersey, New York
Around 25 people have been charged for their roles in a huge coordinated scheme to sell false and fraudulent nursing degree diplomas and transcripts to aspiring nurses, the Department of Health and Human Services’s Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) announced on Jan. 25.
HHS-OIG and its law enforcement partners conducted a “multi-state coordinated law enforcement action” dubbed “Operation Nightingale” using search warrants across Delaware, New York, New Jersey, Texas, and Florida, to arrest about 25 individuals who were allegedly part of the fraud, according to a press release.
The scheme involved the individuals selling fake and fraudulent nursing degree diplomas and transcripts obtained from accredited Florida-based nursing schools to aspiring registered nurses, licensed nurse practitioners, and vocational nurse candidates.
According to officials, those who acquired the fake nursing credentials used them to qualify to sit for the national nursing board exam that is needed to obtain a nursing license in the United States.
After passing the exam, the individuals were able to obtain the licenses and take nursing jobs in various states, officials said.
The scheme involved the distribution of more than 7,600 fake nursing diplomas and transcripts by three South Florida-based nursing schools: Siena College in Broward County, Palm Beach School of Nursing in Palm Beach County, and Sacred Heart International Institute in Broward County, HHS-OIG said…. (Excerpt from The Epoch Times)
