*A Chicago-based pharmacist has been arrested for allegedly illegally selling more than 100 COVID vaccine cards on eBay.
According to the Justice Department, 34-year-old Tangtang Zhao sold 125 authentic vaccine cards online for about $10 a card. The transactions occurred between March 25 and April 11, with sales totaling more than $1,000, per Forbes.
Zhao has been charged with theft of government property and is facing up to 120 years in prison, as each of the 12 counts he’s charged with carries a maximum sentence of 10 years.
“Knowingly selling COVID vaccination cards to unvaccinated individuals puts millions of Americans at risk of serious injury or death,” said Emmerson Buie Jr. of the FBI’s Chicago Field Office. “To put such a small price on the safety of our nation is not only an insult to those who are doing their part in the fight to stop COVID-19, but a federal crime with serious consequences.”
As written by Forbes: Federal agents on Friday uncovered thousands of fake vaccine cards in Memphis, Tennessee, that appeared to have been originated in China, and were bound for shipping all around the United States.
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“These vaccinations are free and available everywhere,” Michael Neipert, area port director of Memphis, said in a statement. “If you do not wish to receive a vaccine, that is your decision. But don’t order a counterfeit, waste my officers’ time, break the law, and misrepresent yourself.
“CBP Officers at the Area Port of Memphis remain committed to stopping counterfeit smuggling and helping to protect our communities. But just know that when you order a fake vaxx card, you are using my officers time as they also seize fentanyl and methamphetamines,” he said.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is calling for a federal crackdown on fake vaccine cards.
“Stealing and selling COVID-19 vaccination cards is inexcusable and will not be tolerated,” Special Agent in Charge Lamont Pugh III of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services IG said in a statement. “Fraudsters who engage in such unlawful conduct undermine efforts to address the pandemic and profit at the public’s expense.”
News of the seizure comes as a number of cities are implementing vaccine mandates for many public, indoor activities.
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