Black Immigrants Targeted In Fake Nursing Degree Scandal

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Black Immigrants Targeted In Fake Nursing Degree Scandal


Back in January, over two dozen individuals have been arrested for promoting faux transcripts and levels to aspiring nurses in an operation known as “Operation Nightingale.”

After an investigation by the US Attorney’s Office it was revealed that of the 7600 individuals who bought these faux diplomas, a 3rd of them by some means handed the board exams and certified to acquire nursing licenses of their states regardless of them not finishing the coursework or scientific necessities.

Authorities Launch Investigation In Fake Nursing Degree Scandal, Make Over Two Dozen Arrests

In this episode of TSR Investigates, we dug slightly deeper and found that lots of the aspiring nurses that have been focused have been Black immigrants.

We have been additionally in a position to communicate with a number of attorneys representing the nurses caught up within the operation to see how the states plan to maneuver ahead with the investigation.

However, might there be extra to this story than easy greed? The Shade Room investigates…

The diplomas could look actual, however they’re not.

And at round $15,000 per diploma, the scheme has netted fraudsters over $114 million, in line with the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida. Makrenzy LaPointe.

States Nationwide Threaten Those To Surrender Licenses Or Face Having Them Revoked

Now, states are going after a whole lot of nurses nationwide, encouraging them to both give up their licenses, or face the opportunity of having them revoked.

At the middle of this investigation are three former nursing faculties, Sienna College, Sacred Heart International Institute, each in Broward County, Florida, and the Palm Beach School of Nursing in West Palm Beach, all of which have been closed.

“Knowing that the candidates would use those false documents to one, sit on nursing boardroom examinations, two, secure nursing licenses, and three, obtain nursing jobs in medical facilities,” LaPointe stated of the faculties.

A video posted to YouTube years in the past of Johanah Napoleon selling her nursing college.

She’s Haitian, and is the mastermind behind the Palm Beach School of Nursing, and who in line with courtroom paperwork, had 4 subsidiary applications within the Sunshine State.

Those paperwork additionally present that she and 14 different staffers and “nurse recruiters” created and distributed faux transcripts and diplomas “for aspiring RN (registered nurse) or LPN/VN (licensed practical nurse) licensure and employment.”

RELATED: Georgia Nurses Defend Their Diplomas After Being Accused Of Purchasing Bogus Nursing Degrees And Fake Transcripts

Perpetrators Were Haitian And Targeted Their Own People Who Immigrated To The U.S. For Opportunities

Vilaire DuRoseau, who was a kind of staffers listed in courtroom paperwork, allegedly owned and operated the Center for Advanced Training in New Jersey.

He’s additionally from Haiti and is accused of wiring over $30,000 {dollars} to Napoleon in alternate for faux nursing diplomas and transcripts.

“Not only is this a public safety issue, but it also tarnishes the reputation of nurses who actually did the hard work and coursework required to get licenses and jobs,” LaPoint went on to say.

Another suspect that caught our eye is businessman Stanton Witherspoon, the CEO of a preferred media firm in Liberia.

He was the proprietor of Sienna College, the place courtroom paperwork present that he and his co-conspirators “solicited and recruited people… seeking nursing credentials… to obtain employment as an RN or LPN.VN.”

“The chief motivation of this type of crime is almost always greed,” stated performing particular agent in cost FBI Miami Chad Yarbro.

One of the phony accreditation faculties nonetheless has an energetic and dealing web site, too.

And the record goes on.

The Shade Room Reaches Out To Defendants For Comment, Lawyers Representing Nurses Speak Out

The Shade Room reached out to a number of of those defendants for remark, however by no means acquired any response.

We did hear again from a lawyer who’s representing 12 nurses in New York.

“They demanded they hand back their licenses until they can prove they obtained all of their credits from other than one of the six schools (in question),” stated lawyer Jordan Fensterman.

Fensterman says the catch is lots of the nurses did full the mandatory coursework, and questioned why the Department of Education didn’t know concerning the rip-off.

He says many of the nurses he represents are immigrants, the place English isn’t their first language.

He believes that these nurses have been focused primarily based off of that alone, as a result of the individuals operating these faculties have been of the identical nationality.

Fensterman says he has not but heard that any of his purchasers have been fired, and that they gained’t hand over their licenses.

Not All Of Those Nurses Obtained Degrees, Licenses Through Fraudulent Means, Lawyer Says

Meanwhile, a former nurse-turned-attorney is representing a number of well being care professionals going through these licensing complaints.

That lawyer, Hannah Williams, maintains that the faculties in query did function legitimately, and did have approval standing. She went on to say that her purchasers are hard-working immigrants from Black international locations who got here to the U.S. for higher alternatives.

She stated whereas some nurses in these applications did receive their licenses by way of fraudulent means, that doesn’t imply the remaining did in order effectively.

Investigators say they don’t plan on charging any of those nurses, and that there is no such thing as a proof to recommend that anybody was harm beneath these nurses’ care.

TSR Investigates explores chilly instances and particular curiosity information tales underrepresented in mainstream media.




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