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Here we go again. Just when it seemed like the lesson had been learned, federal prosecutors in Florida have once again uncovered a massive scheme involving fake nursing diplomas. Operation Nightingale Part I, which made headlines on January 25, 2023, exposed dozens of individuals and multiple for-profit nursing schools that had been selling fraudulent transcripts and diplomas. The outrage was loud, and the warnings were clear: stop the fraud or face justice. One would think these schools would have taken steps to correct their wrongs, but instead they doubled down, continuing to churn out false credentials as though nothing had changed.
The newly announced charges, filed on September 16, 2025, mark Part II of Operation Nightingale. Prosecutors allege that between 2019 and 2022, about 7,300 fake diplomas and transcripts were issued across several Florida schools. The defendants, twelve in total, include school owners, administrators, and staff members. Their names are attached to institutions that once promised students legitimate opportunities but instead ran operations that put public health in jeopardy. Carleen Noreus, tied to Carleen Home Health School in Plantation and West Palm Beach, is accused of issuing false documents while enriching herself through money laundering. Patrick Buchanan, owner of Sigma Institute of Health Careers in Lauderhill, has already pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Gilbert Hyppolite of Techni-Pro Institute in Boca Raton, Irene Matthews of Agape Academy of Sciences in Delray Beach, and Lemuel Pierre and Cleophat Tanis of Med-Life Institute are also among those charged. The list continues with names like Jose Napoleon of Azure College, Joel Lubin of Ideal Professional Institute, Victor Escalante Zerpa of Academus University, and Stephanie Dorisca, Head of Nursing at Techni-Pro Institute. Even more troubling is that some, like Herline Lochard, who managed multiple schools in Miami, North Miami, and Orlando, have already been sentenced for their roles in related fraud.
| School Name | Location(s) | Individuals Responsible / Role |
|---|---|---|
| Carleen Home Health School, Inc. (Plantation) & Carleen Home Health School II, Inc. (West Palm Beach) | South Florida | Carleen Noreus, 51, Broward County — served as president of Carleen Home Health School, Inc., and vice president of Carleen Home Health School II. Charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, money laundering. |
| Sigma Institute of Health Careers, Inc. | Lauderhill | Patrick Buchanan, 40, Broward County — owner, registered agent, and manager of Sigma Institute. Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Scheduled for sentencing in November. |
| Techni-Pro Institute LLC | Boca Raton | Gilbert Hyppolite, 73, Palm Beach County — owner of Techni-Pro. Charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. |
| Agape Academy of Sciences, LLC | Delray Beach | Irene Matthews, 55, Palm Beach County — registered agent and/or manager. Charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. |
| Med-Life Institute | Multiple locations: Lauderdale Lakes; Kissimmee; Naples | Lemuel Pierre, 56, Broward County — owner of Med-Life Enterprise, Inc., founder of all Med-Life Institute locations. Charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Also, Cleophat Tanis, 58, Collier County — co-owner/operator of Med-Life Institute in Naples. |
| Azure College, Inc. | Fort Lauderdale | Jose Napoleon, 40, Palm Beach County — director of admissions for Azure College, Inc. Charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. |
| Ideal Professional Institute, Inc. | Miami Gardens | Joel Lubin, 51, Miami-Dade County — registered agent and administrator of Ideal. Charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. |
| Academus University Corp | Coral Gables | Victor Escalante Zerpa, 68, Miami-Dade County — incorporated Academus University and is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. |
| Head of Nursing at Techni-Pro Institute LLC | Boca Raton | Stephanie Dorisca, 57, Broward County — Head of Nursing at Techni-Pro. Charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. |
| Herline Lochard | Orange County | Managed multiple schools: Center for Professional Training and Development Inc. (Miami), Center for Professional Training Inc. (North Miami), Wheatland Institute Inc. (Orlando). Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud. Sentenced in July to 13 months. |
While some might shrug and wonder what harm a piece of paper can do, the consequences of this fraud are deadly serious. Nurses are the backbone of healthcare, the people patients trust most in their most vulnerable moments. Allowing someone who hasn’t completed the necessary education or clinical training to slip into the profession isn’t just wrong, it’s dangerous. A nurse who lacks the skills to assess, respond, and act under pressure can make errors that cost lives. This is not how you help people, it is how you line your pockets at the expense of public safety.
The scandal has also touched a nerve in Florida’s Haitian community. Haitians are widely known as hard workers, people who sacrifice and strive to build better lives for their families. To see Haitian names tied to this kind of scheme is both heartbreaking and embarrassing. Many in the community feel betrayed, not only because the individuals involved risked tarnishing the reputation of Haitian professionals, but because they exploited the desperation of others who thought they were buying a path to success. What they were really buying was a lie, and the fallout could take years to untangle.
Operation Nightingale Part II makes it painfully clear that the fraud never truly stopped after the first crackdown. Instead, it evolved, spread, and thrived until investigators once again stepped in. The question now is whether the latest round of indictments will finally put an end to the fraudulent nursing school pipeline, or if we’ll be back here in another few years saying the same thing: here we go again.
Menm Istwa a Ankò: Eskandal Fo Diplòm Enfimyè nan Florid Retounen ak Operasyon Nightingale Pati II
Menm istwa a ankò. Lè tout moun te panse leson an te fin aprann, pwokirè federal yo nan Florid ankò yon fwa dekouvri yon gwo eskandal ki gen rapò ak fo diplòm enfimyè. Operasyon Nightingale Pati I, ki te pran tit jounal sou 25 janvye 2023, te mete plizyè douzèn moun ak lekòl enfimyè pou pwofi devan lajistis paske yo t ap vann fo diplòm ak fo transkrip. Endiyasyon te gran, avètisman yo te klè: sispann fwod la oswa fè fas ak jistis. Yon moun t ap panse lekòl sa yo t ap pran mezi pou korije sa yo te fè mal, men olye de sa yo te kontinye, ap pwodui fo diplòm tankou anyen pa t rive.
Nouvo akizasyon yo, ki te depoze sou 16 septanm 2025, make Pati II nan Operasyon Nightingale. Pwokirè yo akize ke ant 2019 ak 2022, anviwon 7,300 fo diplòm ak transkrip te sòti nan plizyè lekòl nan Florid. Gen douz moun an total ki enplike, ladan yo pwopriyetè, administratè ak manm pèsonèl lekòl yo. Non yo makonnen ak enstitisyon ki te fè etidyan kwè yo t ap jwenn chans reyèl, men pito yo te kouri operasyon ki mete sante piblik an danje. Carleen Noreus, ki asosye ak Carleen Home Health School nan Plantation ak West Palm Beach, akize kòm moun ki te bay fo dokiman pandan li t ap anrichi tèt li atravè blanchiman lajan. Patrick Buchanan, pwopriyetè Sigma Institute of Health Careers nan Lauderhill, deja plede koupab pou konplo pou fè fwod elektwonik. Gilbert Hyppolite nan Techni-Pro Institute nan Boca Raton, Irene Matthews nan Agape Academy of Sciences nan Delray Beach, ansanm ak Lemuel Pierre ak Cleophat Tanis nan Med-Life Institute, yo tout ladan yo. Lis la kontinye ak non tankou Jose Napoleon nan Azure College, Joel Lubin nan Ideal Professional Institute, Victor Escalante Zerpa nan Academus University, ak Stephanie Dorisca, chèf Depatman Enfimyè nan Techni-Pro Institute. Pi tris toujou, gen kèk tankou Herline Lochard, ki te dirije plizyè lekòl nan Miami, North Miami ak Orlando, ki deja kondane pou wòl yo nan fwod sa a.
| School Name | Location(s) | Individuals Responsible / Role |
|---|---|---|
| Carleen Home Health School, Inc. (Plantation) & Carleen Home Health School II, Inc. (West Palm Beach) | South Florida | Carleen Noreus, 51, Broward County — served as president of Carleen Home Health School, Inc., and vice president of Carleen Home Health School II. Charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, money laundering. |
| Sigma Institute of Health Careers, Inc. | Lauderhill | Patrick Buchanan, 40, Broward County — owner, registered agent, and manager of Sigma Institute. Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Scheduled for sentencing in November. |
| Techni-Pro Institute LLC | Boca Raton | Gilbert Hyppolite, 73, Palm Beach County — owner of Techni-Pro. Charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. |
| Agape Academy of Sciences, LLC | Delray Beach | Irene Matthews, 55, Palm Beach County — registered agent and/or manager. Charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. |
| Med-Life Institute | Multiple locations: Lauderdale Lakes; Kissimmee; Naples | Lemuel Pierre, 56, Broward County — owner of Med-Life Enterprise, Inc., founder of all Med-Life Institute locations. Charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Also, Cleophat Tanis, 58, Collier County — co-owner/operator of Med-Life Institute in Naples. |
| Azure College, Inc. | Fort Lauderdale | Jose Napoleon, 40, Palm Beach County — director of admissions for Azure College, Inc. Charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. |
| Ideal Professional Institute, Inc. | Miami Gardens | Joel Lubin, 51, Miami-Dade County — registered agent and administrator of Ideal. Charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. |
| Academus University Corp | Coral Gables | Victor Escalante Zerpa, 68, Miami-Dade County — incorporated Academus University and is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. |
| Head of Nursing at Techni-Pro Institute LLC | Boca Raton | Stephanie Dorisca, 57, Broward County — Head of Nursing at Techni-Pro. Charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. |
| Herline Lochard | Orange County | Managed multiple schools: Center for Professional Training and Development Inc. (Miami), Center for Professional Training Inc. (North Miami), Wheatland Institute Inc. (Orlando). Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud. Sentenced in July to 13 months. |
Gen moun ki ka leve zepòl yo pou mande kisa yon bout papye ka fè, men konsekans fo diplòm sa yo grav anpil. Enfimyè se poto mitan swen sante, se yo pasyan mete plis konfyans yo lè yo pi fèb. Lè yo kite yon moun ki pa janm fin fè fòmasyon li oswa pratik klinik li rantre nan pwofesyon an, se pa sèlman yon erè, se yon danje. Yon enfimyè ki pa gen kapasite pou evalye, reyaji, ak aji vit ka fè erè ki koute lavi moun. Sa pa ede pèp la, sa se yon fason pou ranpli pòch sou do lòt moun.
Eskandal la frape fò nan kominote Ayisyen an nan Florid. Ayisyen yo rekonèt kòm moun ki travay di, ki sakrifye anpil pou konstwi lavi miyò pou fanmi yo. Lè yo wè non Ayisyen nan yon eskandal konsa, sa kraze kè anpil moun. Gen anpil nan kominote a ki santi yo trayi, pa sèlman paske moun sa yo mete repitasyon pwofesyonèl Ayisyen yo an danje, men tou paske yo eksplwate dezespwa lòt moun ki te kwè yo t ap achte yon chans pou reyisi. Sa yo te achte a se te manti, e konsekans yo ka pran ane pou netwaye.
Operasyon Nightingale Pati II montre klèman ke fwod la pa t janm sispann apre premye fwa a. Okontrè, li te evolye, gaye, epi grandi jouk ankètè yo te oblije entèvni ankò. Kounye a kesyon an se: èske akizasyon sa yo ap finalman mete yon bout nan pipeline fo diplòm enfimyè yo, oswa èske nan kèk ane ankò n ap retounen nan menm sitiyasyon an pou n di menm bagay la: menm istwa a ankò.
