Federal prosecutors say a South Florida nursing school operator helped provide 2,956 fraudulent nursing diplomas, and about 2,274 people who obtained those credentials later passed board exams and became licensed nurses.
Carleen Noreus, 52, of Plantation, pleaded guilty 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.
The plea followed a two-week trial in Fort Lauderdale tied to Operation Nightingale, the federal investigation into fraudulent nursing diplomas and transcripts sold through for-profit nursing schools in South Florida.
Prosecutors said the documents gave buyers an illegal shortcut into nursing licensing and health care jobs across the United States, even though they had not completed the required coursework or clinical training.
The Fake Records Helped Buyers Sit For Nursing Board Exams
Noreus was president of Carleen Home Health School, Inc. in Plantation and vice president of Carleen Home Health School II, Inc. in West Palm Beach, according to court records and trial evidence cited by prosecutors.
Federal prosecutors said she conspired with others to sell fraudulent nursing diplomas and educational transcripts to people seeking Registered Nurse, Licensed Practical Nurse/Vocational Nurse, and Bachelor of Science in Nursing credentials.
The documents falsely represented that the buyers had completed the academic and clinical requirements of the schools. Prosecutors said the records enabled purchasers to sit for national nursing board examinations and, after passing, obtain nursing licenses and employment in health care.
Evidence admitted at trial established that Noreus was responsible for providing 2,956 fraudulent nursing diplomas through the schools between April 17, 2018, and Oct. 8, 2025, the DOJ said.
Prosecutors Say 2,274 Recipients Became Licensed Nurses
View this post on Instagram
Of the people who obtained fraudulent credentials from the schools, approximately 2,274 passed nursing board examinations, allowing them to obtain nursing licenses and work as nurses in Florida and across the country, according to prosecutors.
The DOJ did not say in the release that every person who obtained fraudulent credentials harmed patients. The confirmed finding is narrower and still serious: thousands of credentials were sold as if required training had been completed when prosecutors said it had not.
U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones said nursing licenses must be earned through education, training, and demonstrated competence, not purchased through fraud. He said the scheme undermined the integrity of the nursing profession and the health care system.
State authorities have since terminated both Carleen schools as a result of the investigation, prosecutors said.
The Case Reached Employers And State Licensing Systems
The case moved beyond school records because nursing credentials are used for exam eligibility, license applications, and employment files. Prosecutors said the fraudulent records allowed people to qualify for board exams, then obtain licenses and jobs after passing.
The broader Operation Nightingale investigation has focused on that licensing gap. In a 2023 enforcement action, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General said fake nursing diplomas and transcripts allowed applicants to sit for the national nursing board exam, become eligible for licensure in various states, and obtain health care jobs after they passed.
For patients and families, the practical check is not a school website, résumé, or social media claim. The National Council of State Boards of Nursing says its Nursys QuickConfirm service lets the public look up a nurse’s license and discipline status for free through participating boards of nursing. Employers and recruiters can also use Nursys license lookup reports when verifying nursing licenses.
Operation Nightingale Has Led To Dozens Of Convictions And Charges
The Noreus case is part of the second phase of Operation Nightingale, a nationwide effort targeting fraudulent nursing diploma schemes operated by for-profit nursing schools in South Florida.
Federal prosecutors said the second phase resulted in fraud-related charges against 13 defendants, including Noreus, for roles in selling fraudulent nursing diplomas and transcripts.
In Phase I, 30 defendants were charged and convicted in 2023 through guilty pleas or trial verdicts, according to the DOJ.
Noreus faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison on each count. A federal district court judge will determine her sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
FBI Miami and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General investigated the case. Senior Litigation Counsel Christopher J. Clark and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jon M. Juenger presented the case at trial for the government, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Grosnoff is handling asset forfeiture.