DETROIT – A Southgate nurse admitted that she stole COVID vaccine cards from a Detroit hospital and sold them to residents for $150-$200.
Bethann Kierczak, 37, a registered nurse, is accused of stealing authentic COVID-19 vaccination record cards from the John D. Dingell VA Medical Center between May 2021 and September 2021. She would also steal vaccine lot numbers to make the cards appear legitimate, according to authorities.
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“The defendant abused her position of trust as a medical provider to line her own pockets and sell fraudulent COVID-19 vaccination cards,” U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison said.
Kierczak sold the stolen cards and information to Metro Detroiters, which might have allowed unvaccinated people to claim they had received their COVID vaccines, federal officials said.
She sold the cards for $150-$200 each, communicating with buyers primarily through Facebook Messenger, according to officials.
“Stealing and selling fraudulent COVID-19 vaccination cards threatens the safety of VA medical center patients and employees, as well as the general public,” said special agent in charge Gregory Billingsley, from the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s Central Field Office.
Kierczak pleaded guilty on June 16 to theft of government funds.