New York woman charged with forging student vaccine cards skips court appearance
A woman accused of forging vaccination cards for students on New York's Long Island skipped her day in court.
Stephanie Mills was scheduled to be arraigned Monday in Central Islip on multiple first degree felony charges for allegedly forging the health records of eight children in the Middle Country Central School District.
Woman charged with forging signatures on vaccine cards
Prosecutors said Mills, a self-described homemaker, forged signatures and submitted forms under the names of real health care professionals for five years. It's unclear what the motivation was and whether she charged parents for the fake paperwork, they said.
The children were barred from school until they obtained vaccinations required by state law. They have since complied and are back in school, the superintendent said.
CBS News New York went to Mills' home in Coram to find out why she did not appear in court, but she did not answer the door. Her family members inside declined to comment.
Hours later, her attorney asked for an adjournment. The case will now be heard at the end of April.
Former nurse admitted to similar vaccine records scheme
Mills, who faces fines and possible jail time, is not the first person accused of forging vaccination records on Long Island.
The state accused Julie DuVuono, a former Amityville nurse practitioner, of falsifying 1,500 pediatric vaccinations. She admitted to forgery and money laundering, and moved to Pennsylvania.
DeVuono, 51, was sentenced to 840 hours of community service in lieu of six months in jail. She was also sentenced to five years of probation, and had to forfeit $1.2 million. Much of the money was seized in her home in 2021, along with ledgers documenting profits.
The New York Health Department revealed in court that she filed additional fraudulent paperwork for 226 patients, including children, who allegedly received other fake vaccines from her.
The judge called DeVuono "an opportunistic thief."
