CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — An employee at a state prison in Chillicothe has been suspended after officials said he was using state computers to manufacture fake COVID-19 vaccination cards.
Fearl Chrisman, 49, Waverly, of Chillicothe Correctional Institution is on paid leave.
“Fearl Chrisman was placed on administrative leave on June 14, 2021 pending an administrative investigation into the alleged reproduction of false vaccine cards and misuse of state property,” said state spokeswoman JoEllen Smith.
The state’s division of administrative services of the highway patrol is investigating. According to state law, misusing a state computer or database is a felony, and creating fake health cards is also a felony.
Multiple people across the United States have been charged with making fake vaccination cards amid the pandemic.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) released a public service announcement reiterating that buying or selling a fake COVID-19 vaccination card not only endangers the community but is also against the law. The PSA reads in part, “Fake vaccination record cards have been advertised on social media websites, as well as e-commerce platforms and blogs. Vaccination record cards are intended to provide recipients of the COVID-19 vaccine with information about the type of vaccine they received, and when they may be able to receive a second dose of the vaccine. If you did not receive the vaccine, do not buy fake vaccine cards, do not make your own vaccine cards, and do not fill-in blank vaccination record cards with false information. By misrepresenting yourself as vaccinated when entering schools, mass transit, workplaces, gyms, or places of worship, you put yourself and others around you at risk of contracting COVID-19. Additionally, the unauthorized use of an official government agency’s seal (such as HHS or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)) is a crime, and may be punishable under Title 18 United States Code, Section 1017, and other applicable laws.”