Man faces charge of making fake COVID vax cards

A man described as a paramedic in Lewes is accused of making fake COVID vaccination cards and selling them, according to a charge filed Jan. 3 in U.S. District Court.

Court records filed with the U.S. District Court of Delaware state that David Hodges was a paramedic in Lewes who also worked at a site in Dover where COVID-19 vaccinations were administered.

“Beginning on or about Feb. 22, 2021, Hodges devised a plan to obtain COVID-19 vaccination cards for the purpose of selling the cards to individuals who did not receive the vaccine,” records state.

Initially, records state, Hodges printed blank vaccination cards from the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services website until he gained access to a vaccine administration site.

“Hodges took blank vaccination cards from the site he worked as a paramedic and used them to create fraudulent proof of vaccination cards for various individuals who, in fact, had not been vaccinated,” records state.

Once a buyer was identified, records state, Hodges would use the individual’s address to look up vaccination sites near the person’s residence in order to obtain legitimate lot numbers for the COVID-19 vaccines being administered in that area. Hodges would fill out the cards using those lot numbers, the person’s date of birth, and then mail the cards, records state. 

In exchange, records state, Hodges received a fee – a total of $1,300 overall.

Hodges faces a misdemeanor charge of selling, possessing, manufacturing fake COVID vaccination cards. It carries a six-month prison sentence and a $5,000 fine.

Hodges is scheduled for a court appearance Wednesday, Feb. 16, in U.S. District Court.