The New York State Police will refer the Parker Community Health Network to the New York Attorney General’s office fee for the illegal charge of moderate vaccination, the government’s Andrew Cuomo said Monday.
State Health Commissioner Howard Zucker said the Orange County-based healthcare provider got the vaccine under false ten, moved it to Brooklyn, and gave it to people who are not on the priority list. Percare is currently the only organization currently under criminal investigation, the governor said, adding that vaccine recipients who violate the state’s distribution plan could also face charges.
“Whenever you have a valuables that are disposed of you should expect fraud,” Kumo said.
Under New York’s current “1A” distribution plan, only medical workers, first responders and nursing home staff members are allowed to receive the coronavirus vaccine. Other groups will follow in future rounds.
“We take this very seriously,” Zucker said in a statement last week. “Anyone who knowingly participated in this scheme will be held liable to the full extent of the law.”
New York State Police and other investigators were at the Parker location in Borough Park on Saturday night.
A Parker spokesman told ABC News on Sunday evening that it was cooperating with the state investigation and would return its unused vials. According to the spokesperson, Parker has received 2,300 doses of Moderna vaccine, and 869 of those doses have already been given, the spokesman said.
“Parker followed all NYS DOH procedures for obtaining Moder’s vaccine and was approved by NYS DOH for distribution as a network site. As a result, we have received the vaccines properly and provided documents regarding proper receipt of the vaccines.” That said, NYS Dohne.
Regarding the patients who got the first shot, Perker said he would “work with the state to make sure we provide a second dose for our patients.”
-ABC News’ Evan Pereira, Sasha Peznik and Aaron Katersky contributed to this report.
.
