The story of Jose Napoleon and the fraudulent nursing diploma empire that jeopardized public health in America.

Opinion | The Haitian Pulse Editorial Team | September 19, 2025

The United States is a land of opportunity, a country where sacrifice and discipline can open doors that lead from poverty to prosperity. But in every land of opportunity, there are those who choose a darker road — the road of shortcuts. They reject the hard climb in favor of quick money, instant status, and the illusion of overnight success. The story of Operation Nightingale is one of those moments, and it comes with a price that is both human and moral.

Federal prosecutors in Miami have charged 12 defendants in Phase II of Operation Nightingale, a sweeping investigation into fraudulent nursing school schemes that sold more than 7,300 fake diplomas and transcripts. These documents allowed unqualified candidates to sit for the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) and, if they passed, become licensed nurses across the United States. Hospitals, clinics, and nursing homes — places where lives depend on competence — unknowingly hired individuals who may not have received proper training.

This is more than fraud. It is a betrayal of trust. And at the center of this betrayal is a cast of characters whose greed drowned out any sense of responsibility.

Jose Napoleon: The Admissions Gatekeeper Who Sold False Hope

Of all the defendants, the case of Jose Napoleon (Case No. 25-cr-60213-Martinez) deserves particular scrutiny. At 40 years old, Napoleon was not the owner of a school. He was not a pastor-turned-entrepreneur, nor a long-standing institutional figure. Instead, he served as director of admissions for Azure College, Inc., a school in Fort Lauderdale that offered Practical Nursing, Associate of Science in Nursing, and RN-to-BSN programs.

Admissions is the gateway to higher education. It is the place where students with dreams come seeking opportunity. It is supposed to be the checkpoint where merit is assessed and qualifications reviewed. But under Napoleon’s watch, admissions became a storefront for fraud.

According to court documents, Napoleon conspired with others to distribute fraudulent documents — transcripts and diplomas that claimed recipients had completed coursework and clinical hours they never undertook. In effect, he turned Azure’s admissions office into a counterfeit factory, granting aspiring nurses the paperwork they needed to bypass years of study.

For Napoleon, this was profit. For his “students,” it was a shortcut. But for society, it was a ticking time bomb. When a patient entrusts their life to a nurse, competence is not optional — it is the line between life and death. By putting false credentials into circulation, Napoleon endangered that trust.

This is the effect of greed: it doesn’t just corrupt paperwork, it corrupts lives.

The Wider Web: Defendants and Their Schemes

Herline Lochard — The Multi-School Operator

At 46, Herline Lochard had her hands on multiple institutions. She acted as the registered agent and manager for the Center for Professional Training and Development Inc. in Miami, Center for Professional Training Inc. in North Miami, and Wheatland Institute Inc. in Orlando. Lochard pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud.

She was sentenced to 13 months in prison and three years of supervised release. For her, the sentence is already reality. She represents the first wave of accountability in this scandal — a reminder that shortcuts eventually lead to prison doors.

Carleen Noreus — The President of Fraudulent Home Health Schools

Carleen Noreus, 51, was not just an employee; she was the president of Carleen Home Health School, Inc. in Plantation and Vice President of Carleen Home Health School II in West Palm Beach. Her indictment is one of the most serious, including wire fraud, conspiracy, and money laundering.

From 2019 to 2022, she and her co-conspirators actively recruited candidates, selling them on the dream of becoming nurses without the burden of coursework or clinical rotations. Her schools became diploma mills disguised as health institutions.

She now faces trial on December 1 in Ft. Lauderdale, with the possibility of 20 years in prison.

Patrick Buchanan — The Sigma Institute Owner

At 40, Patrick Buchanan ran the Sigma Institute of Health Careers, Inc. in Lauderhill. Sigma offered Practical Nursing and Associate of Science in Nursing programs. But instead of offering genuine training, Buchanan orchestrated a fraud that traded money for credentials.

He has already pleaded guilty and will be sentenced on November 19. His case illustrates the grim reality: what could have been a legitimate career in education ended in disgrace.

Gilbert Hyppolite — The Elder Statesman of Fraud

At 73, Gilbert Hyppolite should have been a respected elder in education. Instead, as the owner of Techni-Pro Institute LLC in Boca Raton, he joined the conspiracy. Techni-Pro offered everything from Practical Nursing to RN-to-BSN programs.

Rather than leave behind a legacy of mentorship, Hyppolite will be remembered for conspiracy to commit wire fraud. His indictment is a cautionary tale of how age does not always bring wisdom — sometimes it simply extends corruption.

Irene Matthews — The Agape Operator

Irene Matthews, 55, managed Agape Academy of Sciences, LLC in Delray Beach. Like others, she is accused of conspiring to sell fraudulent nursing credentials. Agape offered a wide range of programs, including BSN degrees.

In her hands, Agape’s “science” was not about training healthcare professionals but perfecting the art of deception.

Lemuel Pierre — The Med-Life Founder

Lemuel Pierre, 56, created Med-Life Enterprise, Inc., the umbrella for Med-Life Institutes in Lauderdale Lakes, Kissimmee, and Naples. On paper, Med-Life offered legitimate programs. In practice, it was a breeding ground for fake transcripts.

By founding an entire network, Pierre extended the reach of fraud far beyond a single city, contributing to the nationwide spread of unqualified nurses.

Joel Lubin — The Administrator of Ideal Professional Institute

Joel Lubin, 51, served as the administrator of Ideal Professional Institute, Inc. in Miami Gardens. He is charged by information with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. As an administrator, his role was clear: manage operations. Instead, he managed deceit.

Victor Escalante Zerpa — The Academus Incorporator

At 68, Victor Escalante Zerpa incorporated Academus University Corp. in Coral Gables. His programs spanned from Practical Nursing to RN-to-BSN. Like Hyppolite, Zerpa was old enough to know better. His involvement shows how the lure of money erodes even long-established reputations.

Cleophat Tanis — The Naples Co-Owner

Cleophat Tanis, 58, was the co-owner of Med-Life Institute Naples. Charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, his case ties directly to Pierre’s network. Naples, far from the headlines of Miami, became another hub of corruption.

Lonnette Blair — The Chief Academic Officer

At 51, Lonnette Blair wore the title of Chief Academic Officer at Carleen Home Health School II. In theory, she was the one tasked with upholding academic integrity. In reality, she was charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, betraying the very title she carried.

Stephanie Dorisca — The Head of Nursing Who Sold Out

Finally, Stephanie Dorisca, 57, served as Head of Nursing at Techni-Pro Institute. A head of nursing is supposed to be the guardian of standards, the protector of patients, and the mentor of students. Instead, she joined the fraud.

Her role may be the most symbolic: when those entrusted to uphold ethics sell them out, an entire profession suffers.

The Pattern of Fraud: Selling Trust, Endangering Lives

Together, these 12 defendants created a fraudulent web that extended across Florida and spilled into hospitals nationwide. Each played a role: some as owners, some as managers, others as gatekeepers. The common thread was greed.

For them, fake diplomas were a source of income. For their “students,” it was a shortcut to a career. But for the public, it was a direct threat. Patients who entrusted their care to nurses had no idea that some may have lacked the rigorous training required to handle emergencies, manage medication, or provide safe treatment.

Cause and Effect: The Shortcut Mentality

The cause of this scandal is as old as human ambition: the desire for wealth without sacrifice. But in a country like the United States, where opportunity exists for those willing to work, it is tragic. The defendants could have run legitimate schools. Their students could have studied, trained, and passed the NCLEX through merit. Instead, shortcuts were chosen.

The effect is destruction — of reputations, institutions, and trust. Federal prosecutors now demand prison sentences. Families are humiliated. Careers are ruined. And the ripple effect spreads into the healthcare system, where lives may have been put at risk.

A Focus on Napoleon’s Lesson

The story of Jose Napoleon is especially telling because of his role. He was not the owner but the director of admissions — the very gatekeeper of opportunity. Instead of protecting that gate, he sold it. He turned the front door of education into a black market.

His choices reflect the core lesson of Operation Nightingale: when integrity is abandoned at the gate, everything that follows is poisoned.

The Haitian Pulse believes Operation Nightingale is more than a case about fake nursing diplomas. It is a moral indictment of the shortcut mentality that infects too many corners of society, from education to healthcare. In the United States, opportunity remains abundant, but greed blinds people into believing there is an easier way. There isn’t. In Haiti, too, shortcuts and corruption have hollowed out institutions, leaving collapse where promise once stood. The lesson is the same in both nations: progress requires sacrifice. Shortcuts only destroy. Leave your comments below — where do you stand in the fight for integrity over greed?