Homeopathic doctor in Napa arrested for selling fake COVID-19 vaccines and vaccination cards, Justice Department says

NAPA, California – A Bay Area doctor was arrested Wednesday on fraud charges after allegedly selling fake COVID-19 vaccines and vaccination cards to patients, the Department of Justice said.

Juli A. Mazi, 41, of Napa, reportedly sold homeoprophylactic vaccination lozenges which she said contained COVID-19. The licensed homeopathic doctor reportedly told the victims that the vaccination would create an antibody reaction in the immune system.

The Justice Department said Mazi then sent COVID-19 vaccination cards to families and told them how to fill them out as if they were receiving doses of Moderna.

“This defendant allegedly defrauded and endangered the public by attacking fears and spreading misinformation about FDA-approved vaccinations, while peddling bogus treatments that endanger people’s lives. Worse, l ‘accused allegedly created counterfeit COVID-19 vaccination cards and instructed clients to falsely mark that they had received a vaccine, allowing them to bypass efforts to contain the spread of the disease, ”said the Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco in a statement.

According to the Justice Department, the woman also claimed her vaccines would provide “lifelong immunity” to the virus.

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“To encourage customers to buy the lozenges, Mazi allegedly exploited misinformation and fear by falsely claiming that FDA-cleared COVID-19 vaccines contain ‘toxic ingredients’,” officials said in a statement.

Court documents also allege the woman provided vaccines against childhood illnesses that she said would meet California’s immunization requirements for schools. The Justice Department said she then provided fake vaccination cards to parents who submitted them to California schools.

In April, someone lodged a complaint with the Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services, claiming that her family member had purchased from the woman.

Mazi now faces charges of wire fraud and misrepresenting a health case.

The Justice Department said she could face up to 25 years in prison on both counts.

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