A former pediatric nurse practitioner in New York has been ordered to pay a record-breaking $544,000 civil penalty for falsifying vaccination records for over 100 school-age children. The New York State Department of Health described the penalty as "historic," marking the largest civil penalty ever imposed by the state for vaccination fraud.
Julie DeVuono, who operated a practice on Long Island, was accused of administering at least one false vaccine to 162 pediatric patients between November 2019 and January 2022. The falsified records covered a range of essential childhood immunizations, including those for tetanus, hepatitis B, measles, mumps, and polio.
In addition to the civil penalty, DeVuono was sentenced in June 2024 to a five-year probationary period after pleading guilty in 2023 to charges of money laundering, forgery, and offering a false instrument for filing. As part of her plea agreement, she surrendered her nursing licenses and forfeited more than $1.2 million in proceeds from the scheme. She and co-conspirator Marissa Urrao were arrested in 2022 and accused of charging clients between $85 and $350 for fraudulent vaccination record cards.
State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald stated that the department has "zero tolerance for those that misrepresent or falsify vaccination records as these acts put lives in jeopardy." The health department has since removed the false immunization information submitted by DeVuono from records covering the past two school years. Parents whose children received services from DeVuono were required to submit proof of immunizations from other healthcare providers.
"Make no mistake, the Department will investigate and hold those accountable who so brazenly undermine our public health system and endanger the health and safety of our communities," McDonald added.