US: Naturopathic doctor admits selling fake Covid vaccine cards

A naturopathic doctor in Northern California on Wednesday pleaded guilty to selling fake Covid-19 immunization treatments and hundreds of fraudulent vaccination cards that made it seem like customers received Moderna vaccines, federal prosecutors said.

Juli A Mazi, 41, of Napa, pleaded guilty in federal court in San Francisco to one count of wire fraud and one of false statements related to health care matters, the US Department of Justice said in a statement.

The case was the first federal criminal fraud prosecution related to fake Centers for Disease Control and Prevention vaccination cards for Covid-19, the department said.

Mazi provided fake CDC vaccination cards for Covid-19 to at least 200 people with instructions on how to complete the cards to make them look like they had received a Moderna vaccine, federal prosecutors said.

She also sold homoeopathic pellets she fraudulently claimed would provide "lifelong immunity to COVID-19." She told customers the pellets contained small amounts of the virus and would create an antibody response, they said.

"This doctor violated the public's trust and reliance on health care professionals — during a time when integrity was needed most," said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A Polite, Jr. "Instead of providing sage information and guidance, Mazi profited from peddling unapproved remedies, stirring up false fears, and generating fake proof of vaccinations."

ALSO READ: