The former owner of the now-shuttered Palm Beach School of Nursing in Florida will be the prosecution's main witness in a federal trial of three defendants accused of recruiting students into a coordinated scheme to sell them fake diplomas and transcripts, according to the Miami Herald.
Johanah Napoleon, former president and owner of the school, previously pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy and was sentenced to 21 months in prison for her role in running the scheme that enabled aspiring nurses to sit for the National Council Licensure Examination without completing the necessary coursework. Before Ms. Napoleon surrenders to prison authorities later this month, she will testify against three defendants in a jury trial that began Nov. 29 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
The three defendants facing trial are Gail Russ, the former director of student services and registrar at the nursing school; and Cassandra Jean and Vilaire Duroseau, two healthcare operators accused of recruiting students to the school to obtain the phony degrees.
"These defendants perpetrated a fraud on so many people in order to make money," Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Clark told the 12-member jury during opening statements in late November, according to the Herald. Mr. Clark said the government's evidence includes undercover recordings from the FBI, nursing school records, financial statements, emails, text messages and other documents.
Meanwhile, attorneys for the defendants described Ms. Napoleon as a "liar" who is testifying against them only to lower her prison sentence.
In January, 25 people were charged for their alleged participation in running the scheme, which involved the sale of more than 7,600 fake diplomas and transcripts from Palm Beach School of nursing and two other now-closed schools in South Florida. Twenty defendants have been convicted for their role, mostly through plea deals. At least four people have been sentenced in connection to the scheme.
The federal investigation is ongoing and more arrests are anticipated in connection with the scheme, according to the Herald's report. Meanwhile, hundreds of nurses who attended the schools maintain they are innocent, saying they attended classes, completed required coursework and did not pay for a fraudulent degree.