Juli Mazi, 41, pleaded guilty in federal court on April 6 to one count of wire fraud and one count of making false statements related to health care matters. She is scheduled to be sentenced on July 29.
She faces up to 20 years behind bars for the wire fraud charge and five years for the false statements charge, both of which carry a maximum $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
Mazi, from the tourist city of Napa, was arrested on July 14, 2021, following a three-month federal investigation.
“During a time when the public has been heavily reliant on our medical professionals for advice and guidance, Mazi has brazenly violated the trust of the public by instilling fear and spreading misinformation surrounding COVID-19 immunizations and treatments,” said FBI Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the Criminal Investigative Division.
“There is no place for fraudulent activity, and the FBI will continue to investigate and pursue those who abuse their positions of authority to try and profit in this criminal manner.”
Prosecutors said in court documents that the investigation was initiated after the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS OIG) hotline received a complaint from a member of the public who said Mazi was selling homeoprophylaxis immunization pellets.
Homeoprophylaxis immunization is not authorized by federal health officials as a protection against COVID-19. According to the tipster, Mazi had said the pellets contained COVID-19 and would create an immune response to the virus.
Prosecutors also claim that Mazi offered the pellets in place of childhood vaccinations or immunizations that are required by law for school attendance.
The investigation also revealed that Mazi sold fake CDC COVID-19 vaccination cards to more than 200 individuals, officials said.
Prosecutors said that Mazi would instruct the individual in receipt of the card to falsely mark the cards to say they received the FDA-authorized Moderna vaccine when they ingested her immunization pellets, when in fact, they had not.
“Mazi made profits by selling false immunization cards she knew would be used to mislead schools into believing students had been immunized from childhood illnesses as required by law,” prosecutors said.
The prosecution was the first by the federal government against a person allegedly involved in faking COVID-19 vaccination records.
The Epoch Times has contacted Mazi’s attorney for comment.
