The California case comes less than four months after the US’ Federal Bureau of Investigations issued an alert about scams involving the sale of falsified vaccination cards, warning that offending individuals would be subjected to applicable laws.
A licensed homeopathic physician was arrested and charged in California on Wednesday for allegedly selling fake COVID-19 immunization treatments and falsifying vaccine cards, marking the first such federal criminal fraud case for prosecutors.
A criminal complaint released by the department states that officials were informed of Mazi’s alleged scheme in April after a tipster made a call to the hotline of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General.
The unidentified individual told officials that relatives had allegedly purchased from Mazi COVID-19 homeoprophylaxis immunization pellets and falsified vaccination cards that stated the specified individual had been given the two-dose Moderna vaccine.
Image provided by the US Department of Justice captures two falsified COVID-19 vaccination cards that were allegedly handed out by Juli A. Mazi, a California-licensed homeopathic physician.
“This defendant allegedly defrauded and endangered the public by preying on fears and spreading misinformation about FDA-authorized vaccinations, while also peddling fake treatments that put people’s lives at risk,” Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco said in a statement released by the Justice Department. “Even worse, the defendant allegedly created counterfeit COVID-19 vaccination cards and instructed her customers to falsely mark that they had received a vaccine, allowing them to circumvent efforts to contain the spread of the disease.”
Additionally, investigators determined that Mazi offered homeoprophylaxis immunizations for childhood illness that she alleged would fulfill immunization requirements for California schools. Falsified immunization cards were later submitted by parents to California schools.
If convicted, Mazi could face as much as 20 years behind bars on the wire fraud charge and five years on the false statements offense. However, both charges carry a maximum $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
Sourse: sputniknews.com
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