Tangtang Zhao is a pharmacist from Chicago, Illinois, who has been arrested and accused of selling fake COVID-19 vaccine cards on eBay.
Tangtang Zhao Accused Of Selling 125 Vaccine Cards. “According to court documents, in March and April 2021, Tangtang Zhao, 34, of Chicago, sold 125 authentic CDC vaccination cards to 11 different buyers for approximately $10 per card. Zhao was a licensed pharmacist in Illinois and was employed at Company 1, a pharmacy which distributed and administered COVID-19 vaccines at its physical locations nationwide. As required by the CDC, Company 1 provided a CDC Vaccination Record Card to each vaccine recipient. Zhao, who worked at Company 1 as a pharmacist during that time, obtained and subsequently offered authentic CDC vaccination cards for sale online. The indictment charges Zhao with 12 counts of theft of government property.” [Dept of Justice]
Zhao Admitted to Selling On eBay As “asianjackson.” “In an interview with The Post in April, Zhao confirmed that he was the owner of the eBay account, “asianjackson,” and had made other sales linked to the account. But Zhao said he had no knowledge of the dozens of vaccination cards sold by “asianjackson” through the auction website, claiming that he had been repeatedly unable to access his account.” [Washington Post]
Video: CBS Chicago report on Tangtang Zhao arrest:
Zhao Reportedly Worked At Walgreens. Online records indicate Tangtang Zhao operated from a Walgreens store on Commercial Avenue in Chicago.
Zhao Facing 12 Counts Of Theft. “Zhao is facing 12 counts of theft of government property, federal prosecutors said. If convicted, Department of Justice officials said he could face a sentence of 10 years in prison per count. ” [NBC]
FBI: We Take Selling Vaccination Cards Seriously. ““Knowingly selling COVID vaccination cards to unvaccinated individuals puts millions of Americans at risk of serious injury or death,” said Special Agent in Charge Emmerson Buie Jr. of the FBI’s Chicago Field Office. “To put such a small price on the safety of our nation is not only an insult to those who are doing their part in the fight to stop COVID-19, but a federal crime with serious consequences.”” [CBS]
Arrest Is Second DOJ Intervention In Black Market Vaccination Cards. “This case marks the second time that the DOJ has intervened in the black market for bogus vaccine cards. Last month, the department arrested a California-based homeopathic doctor over claims that she was selling phony vaccination cards and “immunization pellets” to her clientele.” [Gizmodo]
One of the first political bloggers in the world, Oliver Willis has operated OliverWillis.com since 2000. Contributor at Media Matters for America and The American Independent. Follow on Twitter at @owillis. Full bio.