A Nigerian man, Patrick Nwaokwu, has been sentenced to 21 months in federal prison in the United States for his role in a scheme involving the sale of fake nursing diplomas, transcripts and licences to unqualified individuals.
Nwaokwu, 55, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Deborah L. Boardman and will also serve two years of supervised release after pleading guilty to wire fraud. Prosecutors said he conspired with others to help buyers fraudulently obtain nursing credentials used to secure jobs in the U.S. healthcare system.
According to court documents, the scheme operated through multiple entities, including institutions in Virginia and Florida, where fake educational documents were sold to aspiring nurses. Authorities said some buyers paid as much as $17,000 for fraudulent registered nurse certificates.
Investigators said the operation generated over $1.5 million in losses and enabled unqualified individuals to obtain licences and practice in healthcare roles, exposing patients to serious risk. U.S. authorities described the scheme as a threat to public safety.
One of Nwaokwu’s co-conspirators, Musa Bangura, had earlier been sentenced to 13 months imprisonment, while authorities said the broader investigation remains part of a wider crackdown on fraudulent nursing credential networks.
The case has renewed scrutiny over credential fraud in the healthcare sector, especially following earlier investigations linked to the wider Operation Nightingale probe in the United States.
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