JUST IN: A massive scheme to sell fraudulent nursing degree credentials has been brought down by a joint federal law enforcement operation, DOJ announces.
January 25, 2023, 2:26 PMDoradalton/Getty Images/iStockphoto
Overall, the conspiracy involved the distribution of over 7,600 fake nursing diplomas and certificates issued by Florida-based nursing programs, according to officials."This is probably one of the most brazen schemes that I've seen. And it does shock the mind," Omar Perez Aybar, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Office of Inspector General , told ABC News in an exclusive interview.
Investigating agents spent weeks combing through upwards of 10,000 records from nursing schools to move the investigation forward. "As we started to poke through them we noticed there were no real courses the individuals took -- it was simply a cash mill," Aybar said.Nursing candidates who allegedly participated in the scheme would pay as much as $10,000 -- and sometimes more -- for the fraudulent diplomas, Aybar said.
In the indictments, federal law enforcement officials alleged that the defendants -- some in leadership roles at nursing schools -- "solicited and recruited individuals who sought nursing credentials to gain employment as Registered Nurses or Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurses ," then arranged with co-conspirators "to create and distribute false and fraudulent diplomas and transcripts" to falsely represent that the aspiring nurses had attended the program and had completed...
"I envision that there's going to be a number of other actions that we'll be able to take," Aybar said. "I'm confident that there will be a level of accountability that all of these individuals will face."
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