A judge sentenced three people to federal prison on April 2, 2024 for their involvement in a scheme to sell fake diplomas and transcripts to people seeking to become nurses. Since January 2023, 27 defendants have been charged and convicted for their roles in the fraudulent sale of over 7,600 nursing documents from three now-defunct educational institutions in South Florida. Approximately 37% of those who obtained these falsified documents were able to pass the National Council Licensure Examination and obtain jobs.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, Gail Russ, the former director of student services and registrar at the Palm Beach School of Nursing, received a sentence of 6.5 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Russ was ordered to forfeit $861,672. Cassandre Jean and Vilaire Duroseau, who were involved in recruiting students, were also sentenced. Jean received a three-year prison term, followed by three years of supervised release, and was directed to forfeit over $4.7 million. Duroseau was sentenced to 33 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to forfeit nearly $1.4 million. All three defendants were also instructed to pay a $20,000 fine.
In December, a federal grand jury in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, found the trio guilty of wire fraud and conspiracy charges related to wire fraud after a three-week trial. Johanah Napoleon, the former president and owner of the Palm Beach School of Nursing, served as the prosecution’s key witness. Napoleon had previously pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy and received a 21-month prison sentence. So far, at least seven individuals have been sentenced in connection with this fraudulent scheme.
