Two New York doctors made $1,5 million on fake vaccination cards

Two Long Island nurses made more than $1,5 million off fake vaccination cards, prosecutors say. Nurses sold fake vaccination cards and entered false information into New York City's immunization database, reports New York Times.

According to the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office, two Long Island nurses are accused of raising more than $1,5 million by selling fake Covid-19 vaccination cards.

Nurses, Julie DeWuono, who owns Wild Child Healthcare's pediatric center in Amityville, and Marissa Urraro, her employee, sold fake vaccination cards. They also entered false information into New York's immunization database, prosecutors said. They charged $220 for fake cards for adults and $85 for kids.

Vaccination card was issued, but there was no vaccination

On January 28, DeVuono, 49, and Urraro, 44, appeared in court on one count of second-degree forgery. DeWuono was also charged with one count of providing a false document for registration.

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Michael Alber, Urraro's lawyer, said she pleaded not guilty and was released without bail.

DeVuono's attorney could not be contacted for comment.

At the time of the January 28 arraignment, prosecutors accused the women of forging a vaccination card for an undercover detective even though no vaccine had been administered.

Prosecutors said law enforcement searched DeWuono's home. They seized about $900 in cash and a ledger. According to this book, they made $000 million in the scheme from November to January.

Rodney K. Harrison, Suffolk County Police Commissioner, said in a statement, "As nurses, they need to understand the importance of legal vaccination cards as we all work together to protect public health."

Cards are counterfeited all over the country

In recent months, nurses in South Carolina and Michigan have also faced accusations of falsifying vaccination cards.

On According to U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of South Carolina, in December, a federal grand jury charged a nurse in Columbia, South Carolina with making fake Covid-19 vaccination cards. By According to U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Michigan, in September, a Veterans Affairs hospital nurse in Michigan was charged with stealing genuine vaccination cards from the hospital and reselling them.

Yvonne Gamble, spokeswoman for the Office of the Inspector General for the US Department of Health and Human Services, said schemes using fake vaccination cards, like the one in Long Island, have hurt efforts to contain the coronavirus pandemic.

“The proliferation of fake Covid-19 vaccination cards could jeopardize efforts to address the ongoing public health emergency,” Gamble said. “Therefore, we encourage the public to obtain valid proof of Covid-19 vaccination from their healthcare providers instead create fake vaccination cards or buy them from unauthorized sources.”