Dr. Juli Mazi, a licensed quack in Napa, California, was arrested Wednesday and charged with one count of wire fraud and one count of making false statements regarding health care matters.
Specifically, she was duping people into buying her "immunization pellets," which purportedly contained small amounts of the COVID virus and claimed that these snake oil pellets would provide lifelong immunity, and could be even given to babies. On top of that, Mazi provided fake CDC vaccination cards, complete with actual Moderna vaccine authorization numbers, and instructions on how to complete the cards.
“This defendant allegedly defrauded and endangered the public by preying on fears and spreading misinformation about FDA-authorized vaccinations, while also peddling fake treatments that put people’s lives at risk. Even worse, the defendant allegedly created counterfeit COVID-19 vaccination cards and instructed her customers to falsely mark that they had received a vaccine, allowing them to circumvent efforts to contain the spread of the disease,” Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco said in a release announcing the charges.
[...]
“Spreading inaccurate or false medical information about COVID-19 for personal gain, as the complaint alleges, is dangerous and only seeds skepticism among the public,” said Special Agent in Charge Craig D. Fair of the FBI's San Francisco Field Office in the press release. “As the government continues to work to provide current and accurate information to help slow the spread of COVID-19, the FBI will continue to pursue those who attempt to fraudulently profit from spreading misinformation and providing false documentation.”
Per the report, the investigation, which started in April, was initiated by a complaint filed by a family member of some of the people she had duped into her scheme.
She truly deserves to be convicted and receive the maximum sentence. Fraudsters like Mazi will only make it harder for us to overcome this virus.
