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A Chicago pharmacist has been arrested after allegedly selling dozens of genuine COVID-19 vaccine cards on eBay, the Department of Justice said on Tuesday.
Tangtang Zhao, 34, reportedly sold 125 genuine vaccine cards from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for around $ 10 per card. Zhao reportedly sold the cards to 11 different buyers.
“Knowingly selling COVID vaccination cards to unvaccinated people puts millions of Americans at risk of serious injury or death,” FBI Special Agent Emmerson Buie Jr. said in the statement. “Putting such a low price on the safety of our nation is not only an insult to those doing their part in the fight to stop COVID-19, but a federal crime with grave consequences.”
Zhao, who was a licensed pharmacist, obtained the cards at his workplace, which distributed and administered COVID-19 vaccines at its locations nationwide. As a result, he was charged with 12 counts of theft of property by the government.
“The theft and sale of COVID-19 vaccination cards is inexcusable and will not be tolerated,” said Special Agent in Charge Lamont Pugh III of the US Department of Health and Human Services. “Fraudsters who engage in such illegal behavior are undermining efforts to combat the pandemic and profiting at the expense of the public. The health and safety of the public is our top priority, and we encourage people to obtain vaccination cards from their health care providers. ”
The case is still under investigation; however, if convicted, Zhao faces around 120 years in prison, or 10 years per count.
“We take seriously and will vigorously investigate any criminal offense that contributes to mistrust of vaccines and immunization status,” said Deputy Attorney General Kenneth Polite Jr. of the Criminal Division of the Department of Justice in the communicated. “The Department of Justice and its law enforcement partners are committed to protecting the American people from these offenses during this national emergency.”
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