Police on Long Island, New York say a CVS employee was arrested after officers found 62 fake COVID-19 vaccination cards in his car. Authorities claim the cards were taken from his workplace.
According to the Nassau County Police Department, officers who were looking for drug suspects found a 21 year old man named Zachary sitting in his car with the engine running in East Garden City. Police say a search turned up a controlled substance and a stash of vaccination cards.
Police claim Zachary told officers he took the cards from his boss, sold some to students and planned to give the rest to family and friends. He is facing eight charges, according to police, including criminal possession of a controlled substance, criminal possession of a firearm and petit larceny. The charges are allegations, and he had not been convicted at the time of this report.
Police also said eight of the cards were prefilled with details with only the name left blank, while 54 were blank. Some were reportedly backdated to show earlier vaccination dates, and others carried June dates.
Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder told WABC the intent was to share the cards with family and friends so they could enter venues and possibly use them at school in September. “You can’t have scams like this occurring,” he said.
In a statement, a CVS spokesperson said the company is cooperating with the investigation of an employee at its Levittown store. The company said it took immediate steps to end his employment because the alleged activity conflicts with its values, policies and commitment to safe vaccination protocols.
This is not the first case of its kind. CNN reported that a California bar owner was charged with multiple felonies earlier this month, including forgery and identity theft, for allegedly selling fraudulent vaccine cards for $20 each. The Washington Post reported that Amazon sellers were also found selling fraudulent cards, with one seller reportedly moving 100 cards in two weeks. The market has since moved to encrypted messaging apps such as Telegram, and 45 state attorneys general have urged e-commerce platforms to ban listings of fake CDC vaccination cards.
Made to order and shipped to your door.
The FBI says making or distributing fraudulent vaccination cards is a federal crime, and that using a government agency seal without permission to make a card look like it came from the CDC is illegal.
