NEW YORK - A Nassau County teacher has been indicted on charges she allegedly submitted a forged COVID-19 vaccination car to her school in a scheme to get around her district's mandatory testing rules.
Tricia Manno, 47, of Lindenhurst, is a teacher at Sewanhaka High School.
Prosecutors say Manno allegedly submitted a digital copy of a vaccination card to the Sewanhaka Central High School District as proof of her vaccination status, which must be provided by staff to avoid undergoing weekly COVID-19 testing as per the district’s rules.
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The digital copy allegedly had several discrepancies and appeared to be forged.
When employees at the school district discovered that the card was allegedly forged, Manno was asked to submit the original card to the school.
Manno allegedly told school staff that her original card had been lost, and claimed she was vaccinated at the Northport VA Medical Center.
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On September 27, 2021, prosecutors claim that she went to the Northport VA Medical Center in order to obtain a replacement card. Manno allegedly showed a staff member a digital image of the forged vaccination card and claimed that she lost her original card.
Based on the false claim, authorities say that a member of the medical center issued a replacement card.
The Northport VA Medical Center has no record of administering the COVID-19 vaccine to Manno.
On October 5, 2021, Manno met with members of her school district and submitted the replacement vaccination card she allegedly received from the Northport VA Medical Center under false pretenses.
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She faces a felony charge in connection with the case. She could serve up to seven years in prison in connection with the case.
She pleaded not guilty. She is due back in court on May 24, 2022.
"This defendant allegedly attempted to circumvent the school district’s mandatory testing requirement by submitting a vaccine card with obvious forgeries," DA Donnelly said. "Manno doubled-down on the fraud by allegedly illegally obtaining a replacement card at the Northport VA Medical Center where she claimed to have been vaccinated, showing staff a digital fake as her proof. Submitting fraudulent documents is a crime, and in this case, one that put the health and safety of students and staff at risk."