AMITYVILLE, New York: Two nurses on Long Island have been charged with selling fake COVID-19 vaccination cards and collecting more than $1.5 million, prosecutors and police have announced.

Julie DeVuono, owner of Wild Child Pediatric Healthcare in Amityville, and employee Marissa Urraro, are charged with felony forgery. Both appeared in court on January 28.

Urraro’s lawyer, Michael Alber, urged the public not to believe the prosecutor’s charges and said his client is a well-respected nurse.

“We look forward to highlighting the legal impediments and defects of the investigation,” Alber said, as reported by the New York Post. “It’s our hope that an accusation definitely doesn’t overshadow the good work Miss Urraro’s done for children and adults in the medical field.”

Meanwhile, Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney said DeVuono and Urraro sold fake vaccination cards, charging $220 for adults and $85 for children.

Prosecutors claim DeVuono and Urraro entered the false information into the state’s immunization database.

The nurses were arrested after an undercover detective received a fake vaccination card, according to officials.

During a search of DeVuono’s home, police seized some $900,000 and a ledger showing profits of more than $1.5 million from the scheme, which began in November 2021.

“As nurses, these two individuals should understand the importance of legitimate vaccination cards, as we all work together to protect public health,” said Suffolk County Police Commissioner Rodney Harrison said, according to the New York Post.