Two nurses working on Long Island, New York, are accused of forging Covid-19 immunization cards and inputting them into the state's database, a scheme that allegedly netted more than $1.5 million.
Julie DeVuono, 49, and Marissa Urrao, 44, who worked at Wild Child Pediatric Healthcare in Amityville, were arrested for selling bogus vaccine cards that would land in the New York State Immunization Information System database.
DeVuono is the owner and operator of the clinic.
The duo allegedly asked their victims $220 per adult and $80 per kid, which started in November 2021.
According to a CNBC report, the undercover detectives told prosecutors that they were given vaccine cards at the pediatric office on "one or more occasions."
The duo then creates records to indicate that a vaccine was given despite never administering any.
Further, the report also said that officers were able to seize $900,000 during a probe on DeVuono's residence.
They also discovered a ledger detailing over $1.5 million in proceeds from the operation.
DeVuono and Urraro are each being charged with one count of second-degree forgery.
Aside from that, DeVuono is also being charged with an additional count of offering a false instrument for filing in the first degree.
In an NBC report, Suffolk County Police Commissioner Rodney Harrison said that as nurses, DeVuono and Urrao should have known that it is important to have legitimate vaccination cards as they also play a vital role in protecting public health.
DeVuono's Husband Is Under Probe
Derin DeVuono, a New York Police Department (NYPD) officer and husband of Julie DeVuono, is being probed for his alleged involvement in the vaccine scam where his wife Julie played a part.
According to Gizmodo, Derin DeVuono is now being investigated by the NYPD's internal affairs division to see if he was involved in funneling illegal business to his wife's clinic.
When asked for a comment on the report, Gizmodo said the NYPD did not respond on whether Derin DeVuono has been suspended or if he is facing any other disciplinary action from the department.
Meanwhile, New York Daily News reported that in 2020, Derin DeVuono lost five vacation days after he was accused of piloting an NYPD spy plane on a penis-shaped flight path in 2017 when he was a member of the department's Aviation Unit.
Aside from the threat of the virus itself, the pandemic has also exposed people to different kinds of vulnerabilities, ranging from online or cyber-threats to scams like this.
In another article, Gizmodo reported that forgeries of vaccine cards appeared to be homemade as templates become widely accessible online.
Moreover, the report indicated that officials have seized over 6000 forgeries in September 2021, which has proved that forgery has become a lucrative business opportunity.
It is good to know that such activities are abruptly being detected.
While it is true that the pandemic is still posing a lot of uncertainties two years after it started bringing havoc, resorting to something illegal is not the solution.
