Vaccine-Site Employee Charged – Thief Pilfers Stacks of Covid-19 Vaccination-Record Cards
L.A. COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS – While the Fairplex Mega-POD (Point of Distribution) Covid-19
vaccine site was in full swing – administering nearly 4,000 Covid-19 vaccines daily – the Los Angeles
County Fire Department and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health ran the operation under a unified-incident command.
A serious issue arose when La Verne Police Department (LVPD) Detectives were given notice on
04/27/2021 of a possible theft/embezzlement of blank Covid-19 Vaccination-Record Cards, allegedly
perpetrated by a contracted employee at the Pomona site. “LVPD Detectives responded and determined
that the suspect had stolen blank Covid-19 vaccine cards and put them in his car,” said LVPD.
Next, Investigating Detectives located additional blank Vacc Cards. The follow-up at the suspect’s hotel
room recovered even more – for a total of 528 swiped cards.
The criminal investigation – conducted by La Verne Police Detectives with an assist by the Los Angeles
County Fire Department and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health – resulted in the arrest of Muhammad Rauf Ahmed (45), from Las Vegas, Nevada. “Ahmed was a non-clinical contracted
employee who was hired to support the vaccination site,” said LVPD.
Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón announced that the contract worker was charged on June 9th. “Ahmed (dob 9/25/1975) of Las Vegas was charged in case KA127660 with one felony count of grand theft,” said Pamela J. Johnson of the DA’s Office. “Arraignment is set for August 25 in Department F of the Los Angeles County Superior Court, Pomona Branch.”
While the 500+ cards, which have a value of at least $15 apiece if illegally sold, said prosecutors – Gascón added, “Selling fraudulent and stolen vaccine cards is illegal, immoral and puts the public at risk of exposure to a deadly virus.”
The case remains under investigation by the La Verne Police Department.
