2 New York Nurses Allegedly Make $1.5M Selling Fake Vaccine Cards

Two New York nurses have been accused of amassing $1.5 million by forging COVID-19 vaccination cards in Long Island.

The police and prosecutors said the two healthcare workers also made entries of the fake jabs in the state's database as part of the scheme.

Julie DeVuono, 49, owner of Wild Child Pediatric Healthcare in Amityville, and her employee, Marissa Urraro, 44, were both charged with felony forgery and arraigned on Jan. 28. Julie was also facing an additional charge for offering a false instrument for filing, CNBC reported.

"Forging COVID-19 vaccination cards and entering false information into the New York State database used to track vaccination records puts the health and well-being of others at risk, and undermines efforts to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus," special agent Scott Lampert said in a statement that announced the charges against the nurses.

The duo was accused of doling out the fake vaccination cards between November 2021 and January 2022. The nurses allegedly charged $220 for adults and $85 for children. They also provided these fake cards to undercover detectives without actually administering the vaccine, prosecutors said.

A ledger recovered from Julie's home during the investigation allegedly indicated the duo made $1.5 million from the scheme. Investigators also found $900,000 in cash at the residence.

"As nurses, these two individuals should understand the importance of legitimate vaccination cards as we all work together to protect public health," Suffolk County Police Commissioner Rodney Harrison noted in a statement.

The prosecutors also accused Julie of using her medical practice to obtain blank vaccine cards, vaccine doses and syringes from the state Department of Health.

Meanwhile, sources reportedly told the New York Daily News that Julie's husband, New York City Police Department officer Derin DeVuono, was also being investigated for any involvement in the case.

"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," Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney said, Associated Press reported.

Urraro's lawyer, Michael Alber, said his client was a well-respected nurse, and asked the public not to judge her based on the current allegations against her.

"We look forward to highlighting the legal impediments and defects of the investigation," Alber said Saturday. "It's our hope that an accusation definitely doesn't overshadow the good work Miss Urraro’s done for children and adults in the medical field."