Metro
2 New York nurses allegedly made $1.5 million off fake vaccination cards
Two nurses on Lengthy Island are beneath arrest, accused of forging vaccination playing cards and pocketing greater than $1.5 million from the scheme, prosecutors and police mentioned. CBS New York studies the proprietor of the Amityville pediatric clinic allegedly entered the bogus info into the New York state well being division database.
Julie DeVuono, the proprietor of Wild Little one Pediatric Healthcare in Amityville, and her worker, Marissa Urraro, are each charged with felony forgery, and DeVuono is also charged with providing a false instrument for submitting. Each have been arraigned Friday.
Urraro’s lawyer, Michael Alber, urged folks to not rush to judgment in regards to the allegations and mentioned his consumer is a well-respected nurse.
“We sit up for highlighting the authorized impediments and defects of the investigation,” he mentioned Saturday. “It’s our hope that an accusation positively doesn’t overshadow the great work Miss Urraro’s achieved for youngsters and adults within the medical area.”
A messages searching for remark was left with DeVuono’s legal professional.
Suffolk County District Lawyer Raymond Tierney mentioned DeVuono and Urraro handed out pretend vaccination playing cards, charging $220 for adults and $85 for youngsters. DeVuono, a nurse practitioner, and Urraro, a licensed sensible nurse, entered the false info into the state’s immunization database, he mentioned.
Prosecutors mentioned the nurses cast a pretend card exhibiting a vaccine was given to an undercover detective however by no means administered the vaccine to the detective.
Regulation enforcement officers searched DeVuono’s residence and mentioned they seized about $900,000 in money and a ledger exhibiting income of greater than $1.5 million from the scheme, which started in November 2021.
“I hope this sends a message to others who’re contemplating gaming the system that they’ll get caught and that we are going to implement the legislation to the fullest extent,” Tierney mentioned in a press release with different officers.
Suffolk County Police Commissioner Rodney Harrison added, “As nurses, these two people ought to perceive the significance of reputable vaccination playing cards as all of us work collectively to guard public well being.”
Enterprise homeowners who function small outlets close to the clinic mentioned they suspected one thing untoward was taking place with the quantity of foot site visitors, CBS New York studies.
“It’s scary past phrases, and I’m grateful it has been put to an finish,” mentioned Erin Bevilacqua. “Break legal guidelines, give pretend vaccines. Very disheartening.”
The anti-vaccine motion was a part of a dad and mom’ rights rally on Lengthy Island earlier within the week, many taking their youngsters out of faculty to march for selection on the subject of masks carrying and mandates over COVID-19 vaccines, the station reported.
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