Utah Plastic Surgeon Sold Fake Covid-19 Vaccine Cards for $50, U.S. Says

A Utah plastic surgeon and three associates have been charged not too long ago with promoting pretend Covid-19 vaccine playing cards for $50 apiece in a scheme that lasted greater than a yr, and through which they destroyed greater than $28,000 price of the vaccine doses, in response to federal prosecutors.

Dr. Michael Kirk Moore Jr., a board-certified plastic surgeon within the Salt Lake Metropolis space, bought a whole lot of playing cards falsely claiming to be proof of vaccination in change for money funds or donations to an unspecified charity, the U.S. legal professional’s workplace in Utah mentioned. Below the scheme, Dr. Moore and his associates then destroyed the government-issued vaccines, prosecutors mentioned, noting that many youngster sufferers got saline photographs as a substitute of vaccine doses at their mother and father’ request.

Dr. Moore and his colleagues bought sufficient of the falsified vaccine playing cards to equal 1,937 doses of the vaccine, in response to charging paperwork, which say that the scheme lasted from Might 2021 to September 2022.

Dr. Moore and three others — Kari Dee Burgoyne, his workplace supervisor; Sandra Flores, a receptionist in his workplace; and Kristin Jackson Andersen, his neighbor — have been every indicted on Jan. 11 on a cost of conspiracy to defraud america, and two different prices.

In accordance with the indictment, Dr. Moore was a member of a non-public group that aimed to “liberate” the medical occupation from authorities and medical trade intervention.

“By allegedly falsifying vaccine playing cards and administering saline photographs to kids as a substitute of Covid-19 vaccines, not solely did this supplier endanger the well being and well-being of a weak inhabitants, but in addition undermined public belief and the integrity of federal well being care applications,” Curt L. Muller, particular agent in cost with the Division of Well being and Human Companies, Workplace of the Inspector Normal, mentioned in an announcement final week.

Reached by telephone on Tuesday, a person who recognized himself as Dr. Moore hung up. Ms. Burgoyne declined to remark. Neither Ms. Flores nor Ms. Andersen instantly responded to requests for remark.

Within the final three years, dozens of individuals have been prosecuted for Covid-19 vaccine fraud. Circumstances have included ones involving two nurses on Lengthy Island who have been charged with forgery in January 2022 after incomes greater than $1.5 million from gross sales of falsified proofs of vaccination, and a New Jersey mom who was accused in August 2021 of promoting greater than 250 pretend vaccine playing cards on Instagram.

Within the present case involving Dr. Moore and his associates, prosecutors intend to hunt the forfeiture of the remaining vaccine playing cards and photographs of their possession, and to have them pay a judgment of roughly $125,000.

The web site for Dr. Moore’s cosmetic surgery observe notes his certifications with each the Utah Division of Occupational and Skilled Licensing in addition to the Idaho Board of Medical Examiners. His medical licenses with these two authorities have been listed as energetic on Tuesday, in response to the workplaces’ web sites. A consultant for the American Board of Plastic Surgeons mentioned that Dr. Moore had maintained his certification with the board.