February 20, 2026
Another Fake Nursing License Revoked As ‘Operation Nightingale’ Continues
Nearly 100 nurses in Connecticut have lost their licenses since the beginning of Operation Nightingale.
Connecticut’s Board of Examiners for Nursing has revoked the nursing license of another nurse linked to a national fake degree scheme that has incited a full-blown federal investigation called “Operation Nightingale.”
According to the state Department of Public Health, Abiola Fagbemigun submitted fraudulent transcripts and a degree from Azure College in Florida when applying for a Connecticut license.
On Feb. 4, Fagbemigun’s license was formally revoked after investigators established that the nursing program he claimed to have completed did not exist, CT Insider reported. During an earlier October hearing, DPH officials said he alleged he attended a “bridge licensed practical nurse to registered nurse program” that was not real.
The Connecticut nursing board’s action is only the tip of the iceberg in Operation Nightingale, the massive federal investigation into fake nursing licenses. The operation has identified a large network of for-profit nursing schools in Florida that authorities allege issued fraudulent degrees and transcripts.
In June 2025, the Washington State Board of Nursing issued a list of fraudulent programs to alert potential employers.
Federal authorities have said that more than 7,000 people nationwide may have been involved in the scam that enabled recipients to sit for the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) without completing the required clinical or classroom hours. In Florida, half of the nursing curriculum must be devoted to hands-on training.
Azure College’s director of admissions, Jose Napoleon, admitted in 2025 before Federal Bureau of Investigation agents that the school had issued fake degrees and transcripts from 2017 to 2025. As part of his cooperation, Napoleon provided a list of recipients, including Fagbemigun.
During Phase II of Operation Nightingale, other faculty and staff of the for-pay scam schools were arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Along with Napoleon, Carleen Noreus, Herline Lochard, Patrick Buchanan, Gilbert Hyppolite, Irene Matthews, Lemuel Pierre, Joel Lubin, Victor Escalante Zerpa, Cleophat Tanis, Lonnette Blair, and Stephanie Dorisca were all charged, according to the Department of Justice.
Since the Connecticut Department of Public Health and the Board of Examiners for Nursing were notified of Operation Nightingale in late 2022, nearly 100 nurses in Connecticut have either surrendered their licenses voluntarily or had them revoked.
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