Miami Beach Couple Arrested in Hawaii for Using Fake Vaccination Cards
A couple from Miami Beach was arrested in Hawaii last week after police say they attempted to use fake vaccination cards to travel into the island for a family vacation.
Enzo Dalmazzo, 43, and Daniela Dalmazzo, 31, were charged with falsifying a vaccine card, with Daniela facing an additional two counts for submitting fake documents for their two children.
Violating the state’s COVID-19 mandates, including falsifying a vaccination card, is a misdemeanor that can result in a fine of up to $5,000, up to a year in prison or both.
The couple was cited a total of $8,000 and posted bail. It was the second known case of visitors using fake vaccination cards to bypass quarantine in the last week.
NBC Miami, August 18, 2021
Chicago Pharmacist Is Charged With Selling COVID-19 Vaccine Cards For $10 On eBay
A Chicago pharmacist was arrested Tuesday morning on federal charges of stealing and selling authentic Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) COVID-19 vaccination cards, federal investigators announced on Tuesday.
Tangtang Zhao, 34, is accused of selling 125 cards on eBay for $10 each during March and April 2021, according to court records. Investigators believe Zhao stole the cards from his employer: a pharmacy authorized to distribute COVID-19 vaccines.
Creating or having a vaccination card that an authorized source did not officially give to you is a federal crime, Siobhan said, in part because the CDC is a federal agency, and the card includes a CDC seal.
CBSN Chicago 2 August 17, 2021
More than 3,000 fake COVID vaccine cards seized at Anchorage airport
Buying and selling fake vaccination cards is a crime – Fox News
California father and son arrested in Hawaii for fake COVID-19 vaccine cards
California woman arrested and charged with giving out fake vaccine cards while peddling bogus COVID drugs
Juli A. Mazi, 41, faces one charge of wire fraud and one count of false statements related to health matters, according to the Justice Department. Prosecutors say the Napa woman tried to sell homeoprophylaxis immunization pellets and fake COVID-19 immunization cards that made it appear as though her customers received the Moderna vaccine.
I want to see more stories like this. Not just people arrested for using fake vaccination cards, but for breaking other laws that endanger the lives of others.
Why is enforcement of breaking public health laws important? As this FBI notice says
“…you endanger yourself and those around you, and you are breaking the law.”
It’s a misdemeanor to break some public health laws, a felony for others. Each crime has different levels of recommended punishment. When it comes to punishment of violations of public health laws we should look at intent and the scale of the crime.
Glenn Kirschner on his #JusticeMatters podcast suggested last week that Trump be investigated for negligent homicide for avoidable COVID death. I agree. My friend Dave thinks what Trump did is depraved-indifference murder, a type of murder where an individual acts with a “depraved indifference” to human life and where such act results in a death, despite that individual not explicitly intending to kill.”
How many will die following Trump's latest superspreader rally?
What can be done to stop them?
On the #JusticeMatters podcast @glennkirschner2 says there's enough evidence to investigate Trump for negligent homicide for avoidable COVID deaths. https://t.co/hi8xCOqPeC pic.twitter.com/yxR9EAYdiH— Spocko (@spockosbrain) August 23, 2021
August 18, 2021 Justice Matters Podcast
I want to highlight these stories of enforcement for three reasons:
1) It’s good news. People got caught. Fox News covered it, so maybe it will be a deterrent. Of course if you are reading this fine blog you probably aren’t buying fake vaccination cards. You are already vaccinated. So what you want to know is:
2) How do we stop people who intentionally put lives in danger when they expose others to a deadly virus?
3) What’s the best punishment for people who intentionally endanger lives and break laws?
I noticed that the pharmacist case is a federal case. Federal crimes mean federal prosecutors that can operate in any state. I’ve found that states are often reluctant to enforce or prosecute violations of their OWN public health laws. In fact, Red state governors like DeSantis made it a point to PARDON people who violated their own state public health laws!
The Biden administration is now using federal government levers to get vaccination and mask mandates in place. Biden can do things like restrict federal funds if people don’t get vaccinations and mandate vaccinations for people employed by federal agencies.
They can also bust people for breaking federal laws. The federal government needs to do both.
In the CBSN video about the Chicago pharmacist, Steven Block, a former Federal prosecutor, explains that this arrest sends a message to healthcare professionals. He suggests that more arrests are coming. He also says that the DOJ probably won’t pursue the people who brought the cards. I think that is a mistake.
My way of helping the Feds and states take this seriously it to show state and federal authorities the multiple public health laws that Trump and his campaign staff broke during his rallies.
Someone denied @HealthyOklahoma's access to all the people infected at Trump's Tulsa rally. That violated OK's COVID reporting laws.@CarolLeonnig knows who did it, but can't say because of privacy laws.
Why won't @Okla_OAG investigate? @JonesingToWrite https://t.co/M7p8EC6264— Spocko (@spockosbrain) August 13, 2021
I’ve seen multiple elective officials say a reason not to have mandates is that it’s too hard to enforce the law. But making something a law sets into motion a number of societal and psychological responses. Just having the law leads to people being afraid of being arrested.
But when there is no enforcement, or weak enforcement of public health laws it sends the message that endangering lives isn’t serious.
And when there is no punishment, or weak punishment of public health laws it send the message that there will be no serious consequences for actions that endanger the lives of others.
I believe that people who put lives in danger should be arrested and charged for crimes related to the severity of the danger they put others in. Those who know of this danger, do it intentionally and with malice aforethought, need to be seriously punished. I say this as a green-blooded, bleeding heart liberal.
My message? It’s good that the Federal government and the states are arresting these people. I’m encouraged by this and want to see more. Here's what you can do to help.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form
