FORT LAUDERDALE — A Plantation woman who ran two South Florida nursing schools pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to money laundering after a two-week federal trial exposed a scheme that produced 2,956 fraudulent nursing diplomas over more than seven years.
Carleen Noreus, 52, served as president of Carleen Home Health School, Inc. in Plantation and vice president of Carleen Home Health School II, Inc. in West Palm Beach. Between April 17, 2018, and Oct. 8, 2025, Noreus conspired with others to sell diplomas and transcripts to individuals who never completed the coursework or clinical training required for Registered Nurse, Licensed Practical Nurse/Vocational Nurse, or Bachelor of Science in Nursing credentials, according to evidence presented at trial.
“Nursing licenses must be earned through education, training, and demonstrated competence, not purchased through fraud,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “By selling thousands of fraudulent diplomas and transcripts, the defendant undermined the integrity of the nursing profession and our healthcare system. The Southern District of Florida remains committed to holding accountable those who profit by corrupting professional licensing processes and placing the public at risk.”
The fraudulent documents falsely represented that purchasers had completed all academic and clinical requirements, enabling them to sit for national nursing board examinations. Of those who obtained fake credentials, approximately 2,274 passed the exams, obtained nursing licenses and secured employment in healthcare facilities in Florida and across the country. State authorities have since terminated both schools.
The case is part of the second phase of Operation Nightingale, a nationwide effort targeting fraudulent nursing diploma mills operated by for-profit schools in South Florida. The investigation has produced fraud-related charges against 13 defendants, including Noreus. In Phase I, 30 defendants were charged and convicted in 2023 through guilty pleas or trial verdicts.
FBI Miami Special Agent in Charge Brett D. Skiles and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General Special Agent in Charge Isaac M. Bledsoe joined Reding Quiñones in announcing the plea. Senior Litigation Counsel Christopher J. Clark and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jon M. Juenger presented the case at trial, while Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Grosnoff is handling asset forfeiture.
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.