Long Island nurse practitioner Julie Devuono facing felony charges after allegedly forging thousands of COVID-19 vaccination cards
AMITYVILLE, N.Y. -- A Long Island nurse practitioner accused of selling thousands of fake COVID-19 vaccination cards was back in a Suffolk County courtroom Wednesday.
CBS2's Jennifer McLogan reports the nurse practitioner now faces upgraded charges.
Moments after Julie Devuono was indicted in an alleged $1.5 million forged COVID-19 vaccination card scheme, the judge ordered the Amityville nurse practitioner wear GPS monitoring. She was put on a 5 p.m. curfew and called a flight risk.
"Unfortunately, the COVID hysteria that has overcome this country has found its way into a courtroom right now, and she's facing that here, but we are going to vigorously defend these charges," defense attorney Jason Russo said.
Devuono is facing felony charges that include $1.5 million in alleged money laundering from her medical clinic, Wild Child Pediatric Health.
Much of the cash, claims the district attorney, was seized during a raid of her home amid ledgers outlining the alleged scheme, charging adults up to $350 per fake shot and children up to $220.
Devuono and two employees, a practical nurse and bookkeeper, are accused of dumping the vials. The shots were then falsely entered into the state database.
All denied the charges when arraigned last year.
READ MORE: 3rd woman arrested in connection to COVID vaccine card forgeries on Long Island
Thirty New York City public school teachers received their vaccine cards from the Amityville clinic.
Residents in the area want resolution.
"I do know there was quite a lot of money made," one resident said.
"Who knows who they are putting at risk," another resident said.
"It's not fair to other people that didn't know that these people weren't really vaccinated," another person said.
The DA claims Devuono used proceeds from the scheme to pay the mortgage on her Amityville house she shares with her husband, who was then an NYPD pilot.
"Miss Devuono was a very successful nurse practitioner running a very busy and very successful pediatric nursing practice. Her husband was gainfully employed, had a very good job as he a helicopter pilot for the NYPD," Russo said.
He says the Devuonos paid their bills and mortgage lawfully.