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

A former Long Island nurse practitioner who sold fake COVID-19 vaccination cards has been hit with a $544,000 state penalty — described as a record-breaking fine — following her earlier criminal case in Suffolk County Court.

Julie DeVuono was previously prosecuted in connection with falsifying more than 100 vaccine records, according to reports. She appeared in Suffolk County Court in Riverhead in connection with the case.

New York state has now added the $544,000 civil penalty on top of her prior legal consequences, according to multiple reports published Thursday. The penalty was characterized as the largest of its kind in the state.

DeVuono sold the fraudulent COVID-19 vaccination cards during the pandemic, allowing individuals to falsely claim they had been vaccinated. Suffolk County Police Department was involved in the original investigation, according to reporting.

The case drew attention statewide as an example of pandemic-era fraud that undermined public health efforts. Falsifying vaccination records exposed the public to unvaccinated individuals in settings where vaccination was required as a health and safety measure.

Details about the specific regulatory agency or authority imposing the $544,000 civil penalty, and any conditions attached to the fine, were not fully available in the source material at the time of publication.