A Michigan nurse has been charged with the theft of legitimate COVID-19 vaccination cards from a Veterans Affairs hospital, which she later resold, The Washington Post reports.
Bethann Kierczak also stole vaccine lot numbers that were needed to make the cards seem authentic, selling each card for $150 to $200, per the report. The 37-year-old ran the scheme for more than four months in metro Detroit, selling the cards over Facebook Messenger.
“Regardless of whether an individual chooses to get vaccinated, we urge everyone to avoid turning to schemes like these to evade vaccination requirements,” acting U.S. Attorney Saima S. Mohsin said in a statement. “Selling these cards is a crime.”
The complaint includes messages between Kierczak and an unknown buyer, which court records label as “Confidential Source.” Introductory communication between the two began on May 22, and on June 3, the buyer asked for a vaccine card for a father who was only permitted to see his children if he could prove he was inoculated.
Kierczak said she could help the buyer out, and that she needed the man’s full name and date of birth. She allegedly told the man via Messenger, “Tell him I charge $150 for these, so he owes you a favor.”
The person named the “Confidential Source” later tipped authorities off to Kierczak on Aug. 12, reporting that she was selling stolen immunization cards. The source also sent copies of their previous communication. The source and authorities then worked together to obtain more information about Kierczak’s scam, with the nurse even proposing to give the source a commission for helping sell the cards.
Kierczak was arrested on Sept. 29 and was released on a $10,000 bond. Her preliminary hearing is set for Oct. 22.
The VA denounced her alleged scam in a statement. “VA’s COVID-19 safety protocols, including ensuring accurate vaccination records, exist to keep both veterans and VA’s healthcare workers safe during this global pandemic,” said Gavin McClaren, acting special agent in charge at the VA Office of Inspector General’s Central Field Office.
