A Michigan nurse is accused of stealing COVID-19 vaccination cards from the Veterans Affairs hospital where she worked.
Bethann Kierczak, 37, is facing charges for stealing the vaccine cards and the theft of the vaccine lot numbers that she used on the cards.
Over a four-month time period, Kierczak offered up the vaccine cards at $150 to $200 apiece, according to the criminal complaint. She told them in the Detroit metro area through Facebook Messenger.
The complaint included messages between Kierczak and an unknown buyer identified only as “Confidential Source.” The two began corresponding on May 22. In June, the informant asked the nurse for a vaccination card for a man who could not see his children until he could he had been immunized.
Kierczak agreed, writing, “Tell him I charge $150 for these, so he owes you a favor,” alongside a laughing emoji. She also asked for the man’s full name and date of birth.
On August 12, Michigan police and the Department of Veterans Affairs alerted federal authorities that they received a tip about Kierczak selling the forged vaccination cards.
Kierczak was arrested on September 29. She was released on a $10,000 bond and is due back in court later this month.
“Regardless of whether an individual chooses to get vaccinated, we urge everyone to avoid turning to schemes like these to evade vaccination requirements,” said acting U.S. Attorney Saima S. Mohsin in a statement. “Selling these cards is a crime.”
