Three nurses have been charged in Brooklyn, N.Y., in connection with a scheme to distribute more than 2,600 fake COVID-19 vaccination record cards, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York announced April 20.
Certified nurse midwives Kathleen Breault and Kelly McDermott, and Sherilyn Pellitteri, an LPN, were each charged with conspiracy to defraud the U.S. The three are accused of enrolling Sage-Femme Midwifery — a midwifery clinic owned by Ms. McDermott — as an authorized COVID-19 vaccine administration site and providing vaccination record cards to people who were not vaccinated.
"The defendants' fraud turned it into one of the busiest vaccination sites in New York State, outpacing large, state-run vaccination sites," the attorney's office said.
The individuals are among 18 defendents across the U.S. charged in separate alleged COVID-19 related fraud schemes that collectively amount to $490 million in false billing and theft from the federal government.