New NYPD Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell warned cops this week against handing in fake COVID-19 vaccination cards — reminding them that doing so is a crime, The Post has learned.
“A state bill regarding the falsification of COVID-19 vaccination cards … is in effect,” Sewell wrote in a memo to her nearly 35,000 uniformed officers of the NYPD on Monday.
“Thus, COVID-19 vaccination cards that have been forged violate Penal Law 170.10 (3) (forgery in the second-degree) and/or 170.25 (criminal possession of a forged instrument in the second-degree). Both are Class D felonies.”
Gov. Kathy Hochul signed the legislation last month making forged vaccination cards a crime.
The memo from the city’s top cop comes just under a month after two police supervisors — Lt. Joseph Marsella and Capt. Desmond Morales — were placed on modified duty after allegedly being busted for fake cards.
Lt. Joseph Marsala (squatting) and Capt. Desmond Morales (left) allegedly used fake vaccination cards and have been placed on modified duty.
Gov. Kathy Hochul signed legislation in December that makes producing or using fraudulent COVID-19 vaccination cards a crime. MediaNews Group via Getty ImagesThose cops have not been charged with a crime.
Police sources at the time told The Post the two supervisors weren’t the only ones who tried to pawn off phony proof of the jab to avoid the COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
Since then, sources have said officers with questionable cards, which are required to be uploaded in the department’s internal system, have been ordered to bring in the physical cards for inspection.
NYPD spokeswoman Sgt. Jessica McRorie said of Sewell’s memo, “The message was sent out to make officers aware of the change in the law.”
