A 55-year-old Nigerian man, Patrick Nwaokwu, has been sentenced to nearly two years in federal prison for his role in a large-scale nursing credentials fraud scheme that enabled unqualified individuals to obtain licenses and work in the healthcare sector.
Judge Deborah L. Boardman handed down a 21-month prison sentence to Nwaokwu, followed by two years of supervised release, after he pleaded guilty to wire fraud.
According to court documents, Nwaokwu and his co-conspirators sold fraudulent nursing diplomas and academic transcripts to individuals seeking to enter the healthcare field. The scheme, which began in 2018, involved recruiting individuals willing to pay for fake credentials.
Nwaokwu worked alongside others to distribute falsified documents from a now-defunct institution, backdating them “to make it appear that they attended Nursing School 1 before it lost its licensure.”
Investigators also found that Nwaokwu collaborated with others to sell fraudulent Registered Nurse and Licensed Practical Nurse degrees through the Palm Beach School of Nursing in Florida. He instructed purchasers to list the school on their nursing licensure exam applications but to leave their graduation date blank, allowing the dates to be manipulated to appear valid.
Prosecutors said Nwaokwu typically charged $17,000 for RN degrees and between $6,000 and $10,000 for LPN certifications, contributing to more than $1.5 million in losses.
Authorities warned that the fraudulent operation had serious public safety implications, stating that the scheme “enabled these unqualified individuals to apply for licensure and practice as nurses,” thereby “consciously and recklessly” exposing patients to “potential harm, risk of death, and serious bodily injury.”
One of his co-conspirators was earlier sentenced to 13 months in federal prison for his involvement in the case.
US Attorney Kelly O. Hayes commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General for their roles in uncovering the scheme.
