Feds: 3 South Florida nursing schools sold 7,600 fake degrees; 25 charged

[icymist]

MIAMI – Three now-shuttered South Florida nursing schools sold more than $100 million worth of fake nursing diplomas, leading authorities to charge more than two dozen people, federal prosecutors said Wednesday afternoon.

U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Markenzy Lapointe and representatives from FBI Miami and Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General spoke at a news conference in Miami Wednesday.

Authorities charged 25 people across multiple states in the scheme, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors have made 21 arrests. Those charged were from Florida, New York, New Jersey, Texas and Delaware.

https://www.local10.com/news/local/2023/01/25/feds-to-hold-miami-news-conference-on-charges-in-fraudulent-nursing-diploma-scheme/

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From the state that's currently banning books from schools and students.

[republianmushroom]

1. like it

[angrychair]

2. Of course it was Florida

Who else. Deathsantis should be a lot more worried about nurse education apparently.

[jimfields33]

8. Yeah and Delaware, New Jersey and others.

[Hortensis]

3. Fortunately, they have the identities of all purchasers.

I was shocked initially and wondering how on earth they could do the job, but many are already working in healthcare. Makes sense. Some will also be working in aspects of business that require nursing degrees.

Many of those who bought the phony degrees had health care experience, Lapointe said, including licensed practical nurses.

“Whether or not you passed the licensing test, to me, that’s beside the point,” he said. “To me, if you pass the test, but you haven’t done (required clinical modules), that’s no redemption in any way whatsoever.”

Lapointe said agents have alerted nursing boards across the country about the fraud. ... Officials said they have not learned of any harm to patients linked to those who received fraudulent diplomas, but did say they are working with state licensing boards to ensure anyone who received a fraudulent diploma no longer provides care.

“We know who they are,” Lapointe said.

[icymist]

5. Those state boards are not easy tests.

There have been times, however, in the last couple of years when I've been in hospitals, wondering where some of my nurses got their degree. This was because of some decisions they would make such as posting a big sign in the hallway next to my room's doorway of what pronouns I prefer. Common sense and HIPPA suggests this be posted over the bed, inside the room. After reading this article all I can do is shake my head.

[Hortensis]

9. Thank goodness for that. I was also auto-wondering about

what we might run into now that we're older and these things aren't presumed to be problems for others. Good grief for the sign. Degrees can't make people think.

[Takket]

4. "Nearly a third of the fake diploma-holders could be practicing, officials said."

HOLY SHIT! Hopefully they have some way of figuring out who those people are. I hate to think what kind of sadistic shit a fake nurse might be doing if someone got that fake diploma for nefarious purposes.

[bucolic_frolic]

6. Florida is a red flag

More than 3 decades ago I recall reading a book on penny stocks, back when that meant Penny Stock News and monthly quotes with shares trading from .01 to maybe $2. The author's advice: don't have a broker in Florida, there are no 'blue sky' laws, no regulation or oversight. This was a criticism for the 1920s Florida real estate boom also. Leveraged to the hilt, no money down, people wound up owning a plot on a former plantation with no streets and no government!

[moniss]

7. If you spend a little time in

FLA you get to see how scam filled it is. Been this way for many decades. But DeSenseless is pissed about library books.

[FakeNoose]

10. Could any of these fake-nurses qualify for jobs outside of Florida?

That's what the rest of us should be worrying about. My guess is that the fake-nurses' incompetence would become immediately obvious if they applied for jobs elsewhere. At least I hope that's the case.

[icymist]

12. Yes. If they pass that states' board. What I understand is they are out there.

They should be shaking in their shoes since their names are known. On the bright side is that the state board for nursing is not an easy test.

[superpatriotman]

11. One thing for sure

It happened under republican governors.

[malaise]

13. Adding this link with

There is no low too low for these greedy scumbags