Three Vermont state veteran soldiers are accused of being involved in a fake vaccination card scheme against COVID-19, state police said.
The three men – Shawn Sommers, Raymond Witkowski and David Pfindel – have resigned following the charges, which were first raised by a fellow trooper on Aug. 9, Vermont state police said Tuesday.
Sommers and Witkowski resigned a day later, while Pfindel resigned on Friday after further investigation by state officials. They are accused of having “different roles” in the alleged scheme of making fake vaccination cards, state police said.
“The charges in this case entailed an extraordinary level of misconduct (a criminal offense of the law) and could not have been more annoying and disappointing,” the agency’s director, Colonel Matthew Birmingham, said in a statement.
Birmingham called the allegations against former soldiers “reprehensible”, especially in the midst of the ongoing pandemic and as getting vaccinated is “one of the most important steps” anyone can take to protect their community.
“I am ashamed that this situation has occurred and I know it has tarnished the reputation of the Vermont State Police,” the Birmingham statement continued.
The allegations were made against Burlington prosecutors and also the FBI. An investigation by the federal agency is underway, state police said, adding that it was unable to disclose information about the alleged plan until Tuesday.
“Due to the ongoing FBI investigation, Vermont state police are unable to make further comments at this time,” the agency statement concludes.
Sommers and Witkowski joined the Vermont State Police in July 2016, while Pfindel was hired in January 2014. The three had worked outside the Shaftsbury barracks at one point during their careers, they reported. the state police.
Vermont Gov. Phil Scott announced last month that some state employees working with vulnerable populations should be vaccinated, but it is unclear whether state police would be included in that category.
Meanwhile, the FBI warned the public not to buy or create fake vaccine cards, saying the unauthorized use of the seal of an official government agency is a crime. The warning came after fraudulent vaccination registration cards appeared on social media, as well as on e-commerce platforms and blogs.