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Two nurses from New York were arrested for allegedly running a scheme to falsify vaccination records for people who refused to get a COVID-19 vaccine.
Authorities said that Julie DeVuono, 49, and her employee Marissa Urraro, 44, charged adults $220 and children $85 for a fake vaccine card. In addition to providing the counterfeit cards, the two women entered false information into the New York State Immunization Information System database.
Prosecutors said that DeVuono, who is a nurse practitioner, and Urraro, who is a licensed practical nurse, provided fake vaccine cards to undercover officers on more than one occasion.
Authorities seized over $900,000 from DeVuono's home and said that the women made over $1.5 million from November 2021 to January 2022.
DeVuono and Urraro were both charged with second-degree forgery. DeVuono was also charged with first-degree offering a false instrument for filing.
"These individuals allegedly used their positions as licensed healthcare professionals to engage in criminal conduct for their financial benefit," Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney said in a statement.
"I hope this sends a message to others who are considering gaming the system that they will get caught and that we will enforce the law to the fullest extent," he added.