South Florida nursing school owner pleads guilty in fraudulent diploma scheme
Key Points(5)
- The owner and operator of two South Florida nursing schools has pleaded guilty in federal court for her role in a scheme that sold thousands of fraudulent nursing diplomas and transcripts used to obtain licenses and employment across the United States.
- Carleen Noreus, 52, of Plantation, entered guilty pleas following a two-week trial in Fort Lauderdale to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering, according to the U.S.
- Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida.
- Federal prosecutors said Noreus served as president of Carleen Home Health School, Inc.
- in Plantation and vice president of Carleen Home Health School II, Inc.
The owner and operator of two South Florida nursing schools has pleaded guilty in federal court for her role in a scheme that sold thousands of fraudulent nursing diplomas and transcripts used to obtain licenses and employment across the United States.
Carleen Noreus, 52, of Plantation, entered guilty pleas following a two-week trial in Fort Lauderdale to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida.
Federal prosecutors said Noreus served as president of Carleen Home Health School, Inc. in Plantation and vice president of Carleen Home Health School II, Inc. in West Palm Beach, where she and others conspired to issue falsified academic credentials to individuals who had not completed required coursework or clinical training.
Authorities said the scheme involved the sale of fraudulent diplomas and transcripts representing Registered Nurse (RN), Licensed Practical Nurse/Vocational Nurse (LPN/VN), and Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) qualifications. These documents allegedly allowed recipients to sit for national nursing board exams and, in many cases, obtain passing scores and secure nursing licenses.
According to evidence presented at trial, between April 2018 and October 2025, approximately 2,956 fraudulent nursing diplomas were issued through the schools. Of those recipients, about 2,274 reportedly passed board examinations and went on to work as nurses in Florida and other states.
“Nursing licenses must be earned through education, training, and demonstrated competence, not purchased through fraud,” U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones said in a statement. He said the scheme undermined public trust in the healthcare system and placed patients at risk.
State authorities have since shut down both institutions as part of the investigation.
The case is part of the second phase of “Operation Nightingale,” a nationwide federal crackdown targeting fraudulent nursing diploma operations linked to for-profit schools in South Florida. Prosecutors said the broader investigation has resulted in charges against 13 defendants in Phase II, following 30 convictions or guilty pleas in Phase I in 2023.
Noreus faces a maximum statutory penalty of up to 20 years in prison on each count. A federal judge will determine her sentence at a later date, taking into account sentencing guidelines and other legal factors.
