She sold fake COVID vaccine cards on Facebook — two to undercover trooper, NY cops say
A woman was busted for selling fake COVID-19 vaccine cards on Facebook after meeting with an undercover state trooper and selling him two, officials in upstate New York said.
She was charged with a felony on March 11 under the state’s “Truth in Vaccination” law, which went into effect in December, according to the Erie County District Attorney’s Office.
Kaiyah S. Heinrich, of Cheektowaga, appeared in court on the charge of one count of criminal possession of a forged instrument on March 28, the office said in a news release provided to McClatchy News. She’s accused of selling the pair of fake cards to the undercover investigator on March 10.
Heinrich is accused of making money from the fake cards’ “misuse,” District Attorney John J. Flynn said in a statement. He added that he’s “issued several warnings” to the public about how using fake vaccine cards is a crime.
She was “released on her own recognizance as the charge is a non-qualifying offense for bail,” according to prosecutors. She’s due to return to court on May 17.
Heinrich could face up to seven years in prison if convicted, the office said.
Her arrest comes two months after a couple was charged with a felony within the same county after they were accused of using fake COVID-19 vaccine cards to enter a Buffalo Bills football game, McClatchy News previously reported.
They got to sit through the first half of the game until they were escorted out by law enforcement during the third quarter, according to Flynn.
Highmark Stadium has since lifted its COVID-19 vaccination requirement policy, WIVB reported.
Heinrich’s case is the second to be prosecuted under the “Truth in Vaccination” law in Erie County, Flynn said.
This story was originally published March 28, 2022 at 2:52 PM with the headline "She sold fake COVID vaccine cards on Facebook — two to undercover trooper, NY cops say."
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