An Oak Lawn woman was arrested in Hawaii last week after, court records show, she entered the state with a fake COVID-19 vaccination card that misspelled drug company Moderna as “Maderna.”
Chloe Mrozak, 24, was arrested Aug. 28 at Inouye International Airport in Oahu and faces a misdemeanor charge of falsified vaccination documents, according to court records. The arrest was first reported by Hawaii News Now.
Investigators believe that Mrozak submitted the false card to avoid the state’s 10-day mandatory quarantine that was put into place after Hawaii’s governor issued an emergency proclamation, according to court records. Mrozak’s card indicated that she was vaccinated in Delaware by the National Guard.
Investigators contacted Delaware’s immunization program and learned that the state did not use its National Guard to administer vaccination shots, according to court records. The state also said there was no record of a vaccination under Mrozak’s name and date of birth.
Mrozak’s travel records indicated that she traveled to Hawaii on Aug. 23 on Southwest Airlines to visit friends or relatives, according to court records. She listed herself as staying at a Holiday Inn Express but an assistant general manager told investigators they did not have any reservations under Mrozak’s name.
Mrozak’s travel records listed her departure date as Aug. 28 on American Airlines, according to court records.
Investigators arrested Mrozak at the airport on her departure date, and she told them that she paid for her vaccination card at her doctor’s office, according to court records.
Mrozak’s bail was set at $2,000, according to court records.
Mrozak could not be reached for comment at her home or by telephone.
Earlier in August, Illinois was connected to another incident involving alleged fake vaccination cards.
A licensed pharmacist was arrested in Chicago on charges related to allegedly selling dozens of authentic COVID-19 vaccination cards on eBay, according to an FBI statement.
Tangtang Zhao, 34, sold 125 authentic vaccination cards in March and April to 11 buyers for about $10 per card, the statement said. Zhao was licensed in Illinois and worked at a pharmacy that administered COVID-19 vaccines.
Zhao was charged with 12 counts of theft of government property, the statement said.
“We take seriously, and will vigorously investigate, any criminal offense that contributes to the distrust around vaccines and vaccination status,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division in a written statement. “The Department of Justice and its law enforcement partners are committed to protecting the American people from these offenses during this national emergency.”
“Knowingly selling COVID vaccination cards to unvaccinated individuals puts millions of Americans at risk of serious injury or death,” said Special Agent in Charge Emmerson Buie Jr. of the FBI’s Chicago field office in a written statement. “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.”
If convicted, Zhao faces a sentence of 10 years in prison per count.
The unauthorized use of an official government agency’s seal on fraudulent cards is a crime under Title 18 of the United States Code section 1017, which prohibits “government seals wrongfully used and instruments wrongfully sealed.”
The agency also cautions against posting photos of legitimate vaccination cards on social media or other online sites, which can be vulnerable to identity theft.
The agency says anyone with information about possible fraudulent creation or sale of COVID-19 vaccination cards can file a report by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI. Anonymous tips can also be submitted to tips.fbi.gov.
While using or creating a fraudulent vaccine card is a crime, ethics experts say it’s also highly unethical behavior.
“The idea of a forged COVID card is a violation of our deepest most foundational ethical principles in a civil society,” said Craig Klugman, professor of bioethics at DePaul University. “Right off the top, it’s … lying.”
“Trust is what allows society to function,” he said, adding that lying or withholding information denies others the right to make accurate and informed assessments for their own health and safety. “It’s a violation of personal, professional and civic virtues.”
Often individuals flouting pandemic protocols have framed doing so in terms of maintaining their liberties and freedoms. But Klugman said this is a false premise because individuals don’t have the right or freedom to hurt others.
“Your rights end where injury to another person begins,” he said. “You have the right to put yourself at risk. What you don’t have is the right to put other people at risk.”
Speaking generally, he said the motivation of individuals using fake vaccine cards might be a fear of being left out, or it might be the desire to access events or experiences “to which they aren’t entitled,” because they haven’t been immunized.
“When we focus on our own wants and we don’t necessarily think about the implications for society, we end up putting others in harm’s way,” he said. “And that can be dangerous for everyone.”
Hawaii has been battling a surge in COVID-19 cases, so much so that the state’s governor last week urged residents and potential tourists to limit travel to the islands, according to The Associated Press.
“This tidal wave of cases is straining our ability to respond at all levels — our hospitals, our labs and even our morgues are nearing or at capacity,” Dr. Elizabeth Char, director of Hawaii’s Department of Health, said recently. “We have not yet reached the peak of this surge, and we will not until Hawaii residents take further steps to protect themselves and their families.”
Chicago Tribune’s Zach Harris contributed.
eleventis@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @paigexfry
Twitter @angie_leventis
