Former Long Island Nurse Practitioner Hit With $544K Penalty for Fake COVID Cards

New York state has levied a $544,000 civil penalty against a former Long Island nurse practitioner who was previously prosecuted for selling fraudulent COVID-19 vaccination cards — a fine authorities described as the largest of its kind in state history.

Julie DeVuono faced criminal proceedings in Suffolk County Court in Riverhead after investigators tied her to the falsification of more than 100 vaccine records, officials said.

The civil penalty came on top of the consequences stemming from that earlier criminal case, according to reports published Thursday. State authorities characterized the $544,000 fine as a record-breaking sanction.

During the pandemic, DeVuono sold the bogus vaccination cards, enabling people to falsely present themselves as vaccinated. The Suffolk County Police Department played a role in the original investigation.

The case attracted statewide scrutiny as a stark illustration of pandemic-era fraud that undermined public health protections. By falsifying vaccination records, DeVuono allowed unvaccinated individuals to gain access to settings where proof of vaccination was required as a safety condition.

Details regarding the specific regulatory body imposing the civil penalty and any conditions attached to the fine were not fully available at the time of publication.