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Palm Beach Resident Sentenced to 51 Months in Prison for Her Role in Nursing Student Loan Scam
Marie M. Jean-Francois, 31, of Boca Raton, was sentenced to 51 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for her involvement in a scheme to obtain unauthorized loans for students in a licensed practical nurse (‘LPN’) program by defrauding the Department of Education.
On February 24, 2017, Jean-Francois, an employee/director of the Coral Ridge Training School, an institution that offers a licensed practical nurse training program, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Kenneth A. Marra in the Southern District of Florida.
According to court documents, Jean-Francois engaged in a scheme to defraud the Department of Education by submitting fraudulent student loan applications online. Jean-Francois falsely told students that they would receive a grant that would cover the costs of the program. One evening, during a training class, Jean-Francois demanded that the students provide their personal identification numbers (PIN), identification information that is issued to students when they file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid form.
Jean-Francois then used the students’ PINs and other personal information to electronically sign promissory loan notes without the students’ consent or authorization. Many students did not learn that the unauthorized loans had been taken out in their names until they began receiving letters from the loan servicing companies.
Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the ED-OIG. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cynthia R. Wood.
U.S. Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer and Yessyka Santana, Special Agent in Charge, ED-OIG, made the announcement. Jean-Francois previously pled guilty to one count of wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343 and one count of aggravated identity theft, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1028A.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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