Four individuals in South Florida have been sentenced to prison for their role in a coordinated scheme to sell more than 7,600 fraudulent diplomas and transcripts to aspiring nurses, which enabled them to sit for the National Council Licensure Examination without completing the necessary coursework.
About 37 percent of individuals who bought fake documents from three now-shuttered Florida nursing schools passed the NCLEX exam and presumably went on to secure employment at healthcare facilities. In January, 25 people were charged for their alleged participation in running the scheme. Since then, a total of 20 defendants have been convicted or have pleaded guilty, the South Florida SunSentinel reported Sept. 28.
Four individuals in South Florida have been sentenced for their role in the scheme, according to the report. In July, Johanah Napoleon, former president and owner of the now-shuttered Palm Beach School of Nursing in Florida, was sentenced to 21 months in prison. She previously pleaded guilty to wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
Eunide Sanon, who managed the now closed Siena College in Lauderhill, Fla., pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and will be released from prison in April 2025. Geralda Adrien of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., was sentenced to prison in August after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud and will be released next March. Woosevelt Predestin, also of Fort Lauderdale, was sentenced in August to 27 months in prison. Four other South Florida residents will face sentencing over the next few months.
Meanwhile, another 12 defendants in New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Texas have pleaded guilty to charges and are awaiting sentencing.