admissions@palmbeachstate.edu. : 23-60012-Cr-Singhal. The indictment alleges that these defendants solicited and recruited individuals who sought nursing credentials to gain employment as an RN or LPN/VN. 4th Street
After passing the exam, they became eligible to become licensed in several states, where they eventually found jobs as licensednurses. 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. No students were named in the indictments. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. Transcripts can be sent via secure PDF directly from the issuing institution to Admissions Etienne is charged by information with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Documentation of successful completion of post-secondary. Up to 7,600 fraudulent diplomas were sold at $15,000 each, authorities said. 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," U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Markenzy Lapointe said in Miami, adding that "a fraud scheme like this erodes public trust in our health care system.". Miami, Fl. Attend class in person, virtually Related: HHS: Insiders Pose Significant Cybersecurity Threat to Healthcare. Diplomas are not accepted as proof of high school completion or in place of transcripts. 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. "Health care fraud is nothing new to South Florida, as many scammers see this as a way to earn easy, though illegal, money," acting Special Agent in Charge Chad Yarbrough said Wednesday.