Federal prosecutors in South Florida have charged 12 additional people in a scheme to sell fake nursing diplomas and transcripts to individuals seeking RN and LPN/VN licensure.
Investigators say for-profit schools issued fraudulent credentials so buyers could take the NCLEX exam and, in some cases, secure nursing jobs across the country.
The arrests were part of a second phase of an investigation. In 2023, 25 people were charged in connection with a similar scheme involving three other Florida schools.
ALSO READ: 25 people in Florida are charged with a scheme to get fake nursing diplomas
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Southern District of Florida, the latest indictments target operators and employees of these now-closed institutions:
- Carleen Home Health School, Plantation and West Palm Beach.
- Techni-Pro Institute, Boca Raton.
- Agape Academy of Sciences, Delray Beach.
- Med-Life Institutes, Lauderdale Lakes, Naples, Kissimmee.
- Azure College, Fort Lauderdale.
- Sigma Institute of Health Careers, Lauderhill.
Prosecutors say the conspiracy produced roughly 7,300 fraudulent diplomas from 2019 through 2022.
One defendant, Patrick Buchanan of Broward County, has already pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud for his role at Sigma Institute and is scheduled to be sentenced in November. Another, Herline Lochard, was sentenced in July to 13 months in prison for managing multiple schools involved in the fraud.
If convicted, the newly charged defendants face up to 20 years in prison. Trials are scheduled for later this year, and prosecutors say the investigation is ongoing.
