Authorities: Florida nursing schools sold fraudulent diplomas

A federal grand jury has indicted 25 people in connection with a wire fraud scheme that sold more than 7,600 fraudulent nursing degree diplomas at three now closed nursing schools. They each face up to 20 years in prison.  

From 2016 and 2021, those involved in the scheme allegedly received $114 million for the fake diplomas and transcripts from students at the three Florida-based nursing schools: Palm Beach School of Nursing, Sacred Heart International Institute, and Siena College.

With the fake diplomas and transcripts, students were qualified to take the National Council Licensure Examination. About 2,400 of those students eventually passed the exam and were able to obtain licenses and jobs in other states. Federal officials said that those individuals may lose their certification but probably won’t be criminally charged. Investigators have not yet found evidence of harm to patients caused by any of the nurses with the fraudulent diplomas.

Source: NPR