Fraudulent Nursing Diplomas Prompt $9.5M Forfeiture
Health care employers hiring nurses in Florida should verify credentials directly with issuing schools and licensing boards.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Nursing Jobs
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Carleen Noreus, a former president of Carleen Home Health School, Inc. in Plantation, agreed to a $9.5 million forfeiture deal with federal prosecutors. She is scheduled to surrender to federal prison on Monday after receiving an 87-month sentence in September for fraudulent nursing credentials.
Why it matters
The case exposes how fraudulent nursing diplomas and transcripts moved into health care hiring pipelines, creating credential-verification risk for employers in Florida and other states. The forfeiture and prosecution signal that federal authorities are pursuing both operators and the money trail behind credential fraud.
The forfeiture agreement totals $9.5 million, with $4,189,732.71 already paid as an installment toward the judgment. Noreus was responsible for 2,956 fraudulent nursing diplomas issued over roughly 7.5 years, and her 87-month sentence reflects the scale of the conspiracy.
The players
U.S. Department of Justice
The federal prosecutorial agency that brings criminal cases and pursues asset forfeiture against businesses and individuals engaged in financial and credential fraud.
Carleen Home Health School, Inc.
A Plantation-based nursing education school whose president, Carleen Noreus, was convicted in the fraudulent diploma scheme and whose operations were terminated by Florida authorities.
The details
Noreus and co-conspirators solicited individuals seeking nursing credentials and health care employment, then created and distributed transcripts and diplomas that falsely represented completed coursework and clinical training. The scheme operated at the two schools from January 2019 to September 2022, and Florida authorities terminated both institutions after the investigation. Noreus pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering, and the fraudulent credentials were used to obtain licensure in California and Pennsylvania.
Timeline
January 2019 to September 2022: fraudulent diploma scheme operated at the two schools.
June: Noreus initially went to trial in Fort Lauderdale federal court.
September: Noreus was sentenced to 87 months in prison.
Monday: Noreus is scheduled to report to federal prison.
Market Landscape
Operation Nightingale, a national federal investigation launched in 2023, has produced prosecutions against nursing school operators who issued fraudulent credentials. Florida's termination of the two schools shows that state licensing authorities are acting alongside federal prosecutors in these cases.
Employers hiring nurses should verify transcripts and diplomas directly with issuing institutions and state licensing boards rather than accepting copies at face value. Health care staffing teams should treat credential verification as a standing step, since the scheme involved thousands of diplomas.
The takeaway
Health care operators should audit how nursing credentials are verified during hiring, since this case involved nearly 3,000 fraudulent diplomas. Calendar the state licensing board's verification process as a recurring compliance check for new nursing hires.
Further reading
For more on hiring and credential requirements, browse Nursing Jobs coverage across Florida.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Sun Sentinel.
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