5 plead guilty in Florida fake nursing diploma scheme

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (WPEC) — Five people pleaded guilty Monday in a multi-million-dollar nursing school scheme that led to 25 people being arrested earlier this year.

The Florida wire fraud scheme created an illegal shortcut for aspiring nurses to get licensed.

One of the people charged, Krystal Lopez, admitted that in her role as the Palm Beach School of Nursing's Finance Director, she processed applications for individuals who were issued fraudulent nursing school diplomas and transcripts. Each student paid the school $15,000 for the documents.

The fake diplomas and transcripts qualified those who purchased them to sit for the national nursing board exam. About 2,400 students ended up passing. Now authorities believe they could be practicing nursing somewhere in the country, but they likely won’t be criminally charged. Federal officials say many may just lose their certification.

Officials said the Palm Beach School of Nursing in West Palm Beach, Sacred Heart International Institute in Boca Raton and Siena College in Lauderhill were all involved and are still closed Tuesday.