There has been enough deception and lying in the aftermath of the global COVID-19 pandemic to last a dozen such global health crises. The number of reports of people lining their own pockets or bureaucrats duping people in exchange for power and control is astounding.
With over 800,000 people dying in the United States alone, such a lack of human decency is revolting. The pandemic has revealed the dark side of human nature. The most recent COVID scam involves two trusted healthcare workers. Two New York nurses were arrested and charged with operating a bogus COVID vaccine card scheme. The two crooks are said to have made more than $1.5 million from the scam. The nurses falsified COVID vaccine cards and entered false data into the state's vaccine database. Wild Child Pediatric Healthcare in Amityville is owned by Julie DeVuono. The 49-year-old is charged with one count of second-degree felony forgery, along with her employee, Marissa Urraro. The two nurses are accused of falsifying and tampering with COVID vaccine documents.
As if this scheme wasn't revolting enough, DeVuono's husband works for the NYPD. Derin DeVuono is also being investigated for his possible involvement in the scam. The two women were issued arrest warrants by the Suffolk County District Attorney. According to the warrant, the two nurses charged $220 for forged adult COVID vaccine documents and $85 for children. It doesn't take a master's degree in mathematics to realize that there had to be a lot of forged vaccine documents floating around New York to net over $1 million.There is still some confusion about New York state law regarding COVID scams. Last month, New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed a new law. Possession of a forged COVID vaccine card is a class A misdemeanor.
Tampering with COVID database records, on the other hand, is now a class E felony. Forging a card could result in a year in prison. In New York, tampering with COVID computer database records could result in a much harsher penalty.
COVID database tampering is punishable by up to four years in prison if convicted. We're curious what former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo thinks about these laws. If the entire state wasn't so corrupt, the disgraced governor might be facing a lengthy prison sentence. That's too bad.