Bergen County Woman Sold Fake Vaccine Cards Over Instagram: DA

Mahwah NJ

31 August, 2021

3:25 PM

Description

LYNDHURST, NJ — A Bergen County woman used Instagram to peddle fake COVID-19 vaccination cards, and even charged at least 10 people to enter them into the New York State Immunization Information System database. Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., today filed charges in Manhattan Criminal Court against 15 people allegedly involved in a fake COVID-19 vaccination card conspiracy. Chief among them was Jasmine Clifford, a Lyndhurst woman who sold approximately 250 forged COVID-19 vaccination cards over Instagram, and worked with Nadayza Barkley, to enter at least 10 people into the New York database. In addition to Barkley and Clifford, the 13 other people charged are alleged to have bought the fake cards. Each of the 13 are believed to be employees working in "frontline and essential-employee settings, including hospitals and nursing homes," Vance said. Clifford and Barkley are charged in a Criminal Court complaint with offering a false instrument for filing in the first degree, and conspiracy in the fifth degree. Clifford is additionally charged with criminal possession of a forged instrument in the second degree. According to court documents and statements, Clifford, a "self-described entrepreneur with several online businesses," began advertising the forged Centers for Disease Control and Prevention COVID-19 vaccination cards through her Instagram account, @AntiVaxMomma. She charged $200 for the fake cards, and, for an additional fee, Barkley who works at a medical clinic in Patchogue, New York, would enter the individual's name into the NYSIIS database as having received COVID-19 vaccinations. Keep up to date with what's happening in your community by subscribing to your local Patch newsletter here.