Scandal: Did Florida Nursing School Sell Fake Diplomas? The schools distributed more than 7,600 fraudulent diplomas worth over $100 million or roughly $15,000 per diploma, federal prosecutors said.
The U.S. Department of Justice claims that 25 Floridians in South Florida have been charged in a wire fraud scheme that resulted in the illegal issuance of nursing licenses to hopeful applicants.
Three people were initially detained on suspicion of selling fake diplomas, but they cooperated with the federal authorities and contributed to the development of the case that resulted in the imprisonment of twenty more people.
Each fake diploma cost around $15,000, and over the course of five years, the sellers made about $100 million off of them.
Fortunately, the fraudulent diploma holders have not caused any harm to patients.
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Scandal: Did Florida Nursing School Sell Fake Diplomas?
The plot involved three institutions: Siena College in Broward County, Sacred Heart International Institute in Broward County, and Palm Beach School of Nursing in Palm Beach County.
At the court hearing for this case, 25 people were found guilty.
The participants’ affiliation with the college—whether as faculty or as students—has not been made public.
The federal investigation has revealed that the conspirators offered for sale about 7600 fake diplomas.
As a result, 7600 people across the nation are ineligible to work in the health industry.
In addition to selling fake diplomas, the prosecutors have claimed that license transcripts were also sold.
Between 2016 and 2021, the students who purchased the fake diplomas reportedly spent $114 million.
Public Opinion And Views On The Matter
It is understandable that the news has upset people in Florida and the rest of the country.
It has been devastating for them to realize that their lives may be in the hands of someone so unqualified.
Furthermore, nurses who worked hard to earn their degrees and licenses have expressed disappointment over the accessibility of such phony certificates.
Reddit users have expressed their disappointment and rage at how this was possible after learning about the scandal there.
“This makes me sad. I’m out here putting in a lot of effort to learn how to do this job and do it as well as I can. According to Reddit user Mrwhiskey1814, “While lazy, ignorant imposters buy their way into this world, endangering patients, their fellow employees, and ultimately everyone they come into contact with.
The scandal has been referred to by many as “an affront to Florence Nightingale,” the pioneer of contemporary nursing.
The Progressive Report On Case – Steps Taken
Nursing boards in all fifty states have been notified of every student who holds a license through their fake diploma.
Federal authorities have said they will likely lose their certification. However, the students involved will not be criminally charged.
The three schools involved in the scheme have been shut down and will not be opening soon.
In addition, the persons found guilty of recruiting aspiring nurses and selling them fraudulent diplomas have been sentenced to more than two years and three months.
However, the national nursing board has yet to announce any steps it will be taking to avoid this kind of scheme in the future.
There has yet to be any talk of revising the minimum requirements for a diploma or a tighter security check on the certificates handed out.
What schools were named in the Florida nursing scandal?
On Military Trail, just north of Okeechobee Boulevard, one was the Palm Beach School of Nursing. The other two were Sacred Heart International Institute and Siena College, both in Broward County.
The three institutions have all since closed.
How many people have been charged as a result of the Florida nursing schools investigation?
More than two dozen people have been charged by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Miami with selling people who wanted to become nurses false nursing school diplomas and academic transcripts from legitimate nursing schools in Florida. Each defendant could spend up to 20 years behind bars.
The participants in the alleged scheme are being prosecuted by the DOJ. Defendants are accused of wire fraud in each case.
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