A California-licensed homeopathic doctor pleaded guilty to wire fraud and false statement charges after selling homeoprophylaxis immunization pellets and falsifying COVID-19 vaccination cards to make it appear patients received the Moderna vaccine, the Justice Department said April 6.
Juli Mazi, 41, was arrested July 14 on the charges related to the fake COVID-19 immunization and vaccination card scheme.
"Juli Mazi has admitted that she engaged in a scheme to sell fake healthcare records to her customers," U.S. Attorney Stephanie Hinds said in a news release. "Mazi made profits by selling false immunization cards she knew would be used to mislead schools into believing students had been immunized from childhood illnesses as required by law. Mazi also sold fake COVID-19 vaccination record cards suggesting she administered the Moderna vaccine to her customers when, in fact, she had not."
The plea stemmed from a complaint HHS received in April 2021 that Ms. Mazi was offering homeoprophylaxis immunization pellets, which she claimed would provide lifelong protection from the virus, according to the Justice Department, which cited court documents. The complainant also said Ms. Mazi provided fake CDC COVID-19 vaccination record cards with instructions on how to make the cards appear to be records of the Moderna vaccine.
The Justice Department said an investigation found Ms. Mazi provided fake immunization cards for more than 200 people suggesting she administered the Moderna shot. Investigators also found she provided fake immunization cards she knew would be submitted to schools to more than 100 individuals.
Ms. Mazi's sentencing is scheduled for July 29. According to the Justice Department, she could face up to 20 years in prison for the wire fraud charge and five years for the false statements charge. She also faces a fine of up to $250,000 for each charge and three years of supervised release.