A former nurse from Long Island, Julie DeVuono, made headlines for selling counterfeit vaccine cards during the COVID-19 pandemic, raking in a staggering $1.5 million. Recently, she was fined a record $544,000 by the state for her actions.
At 53, DeVuono, who once practiced in Amityville, pleaded guilty in 2023 to charges of forgery and money laundering. Her scheme, which the state Department of Health described as “large-scale,” targeted parents of 162 school-aged children between November 2019 and January 2022. This shocking revelation was announced Thursday.
State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald remarked, “This is the largest civil penalty imposed for vaccination fraud in the Department of Health’s 125-year history.” It really underscores the seriousness of the situation.
McDonald emphasized that vaccines are crucial for preventing serious diseases, expressing a firm stance against those who falsify vaccination records, as such acts can endanger lives.
DeVuono’s arrest happened in January 2022 after authorities caught wind of her fraudulent activities. She eventually pleaded guilty a year and a half later. Interestingly, instead of facing jail time, she was sentenced to a hefty 840 hours of community service and five years of probation. Additionally, she forfeited $1.2 million, much of which was already confiscated from her home, along with records of her profits.
It seems her guilty plea was part of a broader case; two co-defendants—Marissa Urraro, a licensed practical nurse, and receptionist Brooke Hogan—struck secret agreements to testify against her. DeVuono owned Wild Child Pediatric Center in Amityville, where she received 3,174 vaccine doses through the CDC. Instead of administering them, she charged clients $220 to $350 for adult vaccine cards and $85 for children’s cards, often disposing of the actual vaccines.
Moreover, she allegedly funneled $236,980 from her fraudulent activities to pay off a mortgage on her home, which she shared with her husband, an NYPD officer. According to Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney, DeVuono exploited public fears during the pandemic purely for her financial gain.
