Two nursing school professionals in Florida have pleaded guilty to selling thousands Fraudulent Diploma to students, Miami Herald informed.
Charles Etienne, 60, president of the Sacred Heart International Institute in Fort Lauderdale, and Unid Sanon, 60, owner of Siena College of Health in Lauderhill, ran what prosecutors say was a multimillion-dollar scheme that began in 2017. South Florida to New York.
According to Court documentsThe system offered an “employment shortcut” by allowing students to bypass essential requirements such as clinical work hours and passing national exams.
Etienne and Sanon are just two of 25 defendants facing federal charges in a fraudulent diploma scheme in South Florida.
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“Healthcare fraud is nothing new in South Florida, as many scammers see it as a way to make money, even though it’s illegal,” said FBI Miami Special Agent Chad Yarbrough. statement. “What is alarming about this investigation is that there are more than 7,600 people nationwide with fraudulent nursing credentials who are potentially in critical health care roles treating patients. Were it not for the diligence and hard work of investigators on this case, this fraud may not have been discovered.”
A network of nursing operators facing legal hurdles allegedly charged students between $10,000 and $17,000 for a registered nursing (RN) diploma.
Both Etienne and Sanon face up to 20 years in prison and fines of $150,000 and $1.2 million, respectively, as part of their sentences.
Between 2016 and 2021, about 7,600 students paid a total of $114 million in false degrees, according to court documents. Students who have obtained degrees illegally can lose their certificates, but according to authorities, Per Miami Herald.
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