Two New York nurses are accused of selling fake COVID-19 vaccination cards and entering the information into the state’s database.
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Julie DeVuono,49, and Marrisa Urrao,44, worked at the Wild Child Pediatric Healthcare in Amityville, Long Island. Devuono was the owner and operator of the clinic where she charged $220 for adults and $85 for children to forge the vaccination cards between Nov.2021 and Jan. 2022. The pair was also accused of falsifying the cards for undercover detectives who did not receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
The Suffolk County District Attorneys Office said in a statement that the women were arrested on Friday and a ledger found in DeVuono’s home revealed the profits she made from the $1.5 million scheme. Additionally, investigators also found $900,000 in cash at the residence.
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“These individuals allegedly used their positions as licensed healthcare professionals to engage in criminal conduct for their financial benefit. This fraudulent scheme was uncovered thanks to the hard work of the members of the Suffolk County Police Department DA’s squad assigned to my office. 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.” said Suffolk County DA Raymond Tierney.
Both women have been charged with one count of forgery and DeVuono was given an additional charge for offering a false instrument for filing.
SOURCE: NBC New York