Pharmacist arrested after COVID-19 vaccination cards sold on eBay

(CNN) — A licensed pharmacist was arrested successful Chicago connected Tuesday for allegedly selling dozens of authentic COVID-19 vaccination cards connected eBay, the Justice Department said in a quality release.

Tangtang Zhao, 34, allegedly sold 125 COVID-19 vaccination cards from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to 11 antithetic buyers for astir $10 a paper successful March and April, the section said.

Zhao, who worked arsenic a pharmacist during that time, was indicted connected 12 counts of theft of authorities property, the merchandise added.

“Knowingly selling COVID vaccination cards to unvaccinated individuals puts millions of Americans astatine hazard of superior wounded oregon death,” Special Agent successful Charge Emmerson Buie Jr., with the FBI’s Chicago Field Office, said successful a statement. “To enactment specified a tiny terms connected the information of our federation is not lone an insult to those who are doing their portion successful the combat to halt COVID-19, but a national transgression with superior consequences.”

Zhao’s defence attorney, Gal Pissetzky, entered a not blameworthy plea connected his client’s behalf during a Tuesday arraignment.

Zhao’s biggest merchantability was $176.70 connected April 2 to a purchaser who paid for 17 cards, according to the indictment. In total, Zhao made much than $1,200 betwixt March and April, the indictment shows.

During the arraignment, Zhao was ordered by U.S. Magistrate Judge Sheila M. Finnegan to pass his leader that helium was indicted on a complaint of selling certified vaccination cards that helium received from his job.

Pissetzky, Zhao’s attorney, said helium “will surely beryllium fired if helium discloses the charges to his employer.”

“Certainly, unfortunately, Mr. Zhao volition suffer his employment and I’m not definite if he’ll beryllium capable to summation caller employment due to the fact that helium is simply a pharmacist,” Pissetzky said.

“He mightiness beryllium capable to bash immoderate different benignant of work,” the justice replied.

Finnegan agreed to merchandise Zhao connected a $4,500 unsecured enslaved and gave him 7 days to pass his employer.

If convicted, Zhao faces up to 10 years successful situation for each count, according to the Justice Department.

The Justice Department filed another transgression fraud case last period related to COVID-19 vaccination grounds cards.

In July, a licensed naturopathic doc successful California was charged with selling immunization pellets to patients nether the guise that they would make COVID-19 antibodies and instructing customers however to capable retired the CDC vaccine paper to marque it look similar they had received the Moderna vaccine.