The owner and operator of a home health nurse school has pleaded guilty for her role in a scheme to provide 2,956 fraudulent diplomas and transcripts to individuals seeking nursing licenses and employment throughout the U.S., according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida.
Carleen Noreus, 52, of Plantation, Fla., pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to money laundering, a news release noted.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Noreus served as president of Carleen Home Health School in Plantation and vice president of Carleen Home Health School II in West Palm Beach.
From April 2018 to October 2025, Noreus conspired with others to sell fraudulent nursing diplomas and educational transcripts to individuals who had not completed the required coursework or clinical training to earn Registered Nurse (RN), Licensed Practical Nurse/Vocational Nurse (LPN/VN), or Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) credentials.
These documents enabled purchasers to sit for the national nursing board examinations and, after passing those examinations, obtain nursing licenses and employment in the health care field.
Of the individuals who obtained fraudulent credentials from the school, approximately 2,274 passed nursing board examinations, allowing them to obtain nursing licenses and work as nurses in Florida and across the country.
Noreus faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison on each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.