A federal jury in Chicago convicted an Illinois pharmacist on Friday for stealing and selling COVID-19 vaccination cards. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, pharmacist Tangtang Zhao, 36, of Chicago, stole CDC-issued COVID-19 vaccination cards from the pharmacy where he worked, and sold them to buyers across the country through an online marketplace. Zhao and other pharmacists administered COVID-19 vaccinations to the public, and therefore Zhao had access to vaccination cards at the pharmacy. During a three-week timeframe in March and April 2021, Zhao posted listings for over 650 COVID-19 vaccination cards that he advertised as “authentic” and “straight from the CDC.” In total, he sold 630 cards to approximately 200 unique buyers, who paid Zhao more than $5,600. The jury convicted Zhao of 12 counts of theft of government property. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 28 and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
