Pharmacist Sold 125 Stolen Vaccine Cards Online: Feds

CHICAGO — A 34-year-old pharmacist was arrested Tuesday on charges related to selling over 100 authentic Centers for Disease Control and Prevention COVID-19 vaccination cards to buyers on e-Bay whom he had not vaccinated.

Per CDC requirements, the company Tangtang Zhao worked at was only allowed to give one CDC vaccination record card to each vaccine recipient. Zhao is accused of taking a portion of the government-issued vaccination cards and selling up to 125 of them online for approximately $10 per card. Records indicate Zhao sold to 11 different buyers for a profit of more than $1,200.

The Chicago-based registered pharmacist worked for a national chain which distributed vaccines across the United States. While prosecutors did not say which chain, officials said the charges against Zhao occurred in March and April 2021.

"Knowingly selling COVID vaccination cards to unvaccinated individuals puts millions of Americans at risk of serious injury or death," said Emmerson Buie Jr., a special agent in charge of the FBI's Chicago Field Office. "To put such a small price on the safety of our nation is not only an insult to those who are doing their part in the fight to stop COVID-19, but a federal crime with serious consequences."

Vaccination against COVID-19 is free for all U.S. residents. In early March, Illinois' Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced the state would crack down on those who bought or made counterfeit cards.

The indictment charges Zhao with 12 counts of theft of government property, a federal crime. If convicted, he could be sentenced to 10 years in prison for each count.