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

See Full Page