Twelve more people, including eight South Floridians, were charged for their role in a scheme that sold thousands of fake diplomas to aspiring nurses across the country — nearly three years after federal authorities first announced charges against others.
Then-U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Markenzy Lapointe announced in January 2023 that more than 7,000 people purchased fraudulent nursing diplomas and transcripts from for-profit nursing schools in Florida, including Siena College in Lauderhill, Sacred Heart International Institute in Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach School of Nursing in Palm Beach County.
The aspiring nurses who purchased the fake credentials used them to qualify for national exams, allowing those who passed to be come eligible for licenses and to be employed in nursing jobs despite never having taken the required courses and clinicals. Diplomas on average were sold for $15,000, the scheme garnering a total of about $114 million.
In “Phase I” of the investigation in 2023, 30 people, including at least eight South Florida residents, were charged and convicted by entering a plea or at trial. As of Monday, some of the additional 12 cases have been scheduled for sentencing or trial while one person has been sentenced to 13 months in federal prison, federal prosecutors said in a news release.
Among the South Florida residents whose cases were announced Monday are:
Carleen Noreus, 51, of Broward County, who was the president of Carleen Home Health School, Inc. in Plantation and vice president of Carleen Home Health School II, Inc. in West Palm Beach. Her trial is set to begin Dec. 1.
Patrick Buchanan, 40, of Broward County, who was the owner, registered agent and manager of Sigma Institute of Health Careers, Inc. in Lauderhill. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and will be sentenced Nov. 19.
Gilbert Hyppolite, 73, of Palm Beach County, who was the owner of Techni-Pro Institute LLC in Boca Raton. He is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
Irene Matthews, 55, of Palm Beach County, who was the registered agent of Agape Academy of Sciences, LLC. in Delray Beach. She is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
Lemuel Pierre, 56, of Broward County, who was the owner of Med-Life Enterprise, Inc. in Lauderdale Lakes. He is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
Joel Lubin, 51, of Miami-Dade County, who was the registered agent and administrator of Ideal Professional Institute, Inc. in Miami Gardens. He is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
Jose Napoleon, 40, of Palm Beach County, who was the director of admissions for Azure College, Inc. in Fort Lauderdale. He is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
Victor Escalante Zerpa, 68, of Miami-Dade County, who incorporated Academus University Corp. in Coral Gables. He is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
Stephanie Dorisca, 57, of Broward County, was the Head of Nursing at Techni-Pro Institute LLC. She is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
About 2,400 of the more than 7,000 students who purchased the fake credentials eventually passed their licensing exams — mainly in New York. Nurses certified in New York are allowed to practice in Florida and many other states. Those who purchased the documents were not likely to be criminally charged, federal officials said in 2023 when charges were announced.