Doctor accused of selling fake COVID-19 vaccination cards in Tujunga

An osteopathic doctor with a practice in Montrose was charged Tuesday with allegedly giving out fake COVID-19 vaccination cards to his patients as well as injecting some of them with blood plasma he received from donors.

Donald Plance, 68, of the Tujunga-Sunland area, is set to be arraigned on 10 felony counts of making a forged government seal and 10 misdemeanor counts of making a false medical record, along with one misdemeanor count each of making a drug without a license and possession of a contaminated medical device, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.

"It is disturbing that people, especially medical professionals, continue to use the pandemic as an opportunity to deceive the public," said District Attorney George Gascón in the statement. "Fake COVID vaccination cards are illegal and endanger our collective health and well-being. We will continue to work with our local, state and federal law enforcement partners to protect consumers and stop medical fraud."

Plance is accused of making his own vaccination cards and giving them to his patients between August and November 2021, according to the District Attorney's Office. Gascon said the cards appeared to be genuine and bore the Center for Disease Control and Health and Human Services seals.

The doctor also allegedly injected his patients with blood plasma from donors who purportedly previously had COVID-19, claiming that the procedure would protect his patients from contracting the virus, according to the District Attorney's Office.