SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Jan. 18, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — A Utah plastic surgeon and three co-defendants have been indicted on suspicion of running a COVID-19 vaccine scheme to defraud the government and CDC.
A statement from the Department of Justice, Utah district, says the suspect, Dr. Michael Kirk Moore Jr., 58, of Salt Lake County, is charged with “conspiracy to defraud the United States by issuing fake CDC COVID-19 vaccination record cards to fraudulent vaccine card seekers.”
The indictment alleges that Moore and and his co-defendants, “ran a scheme out of Plastic Surgery Institute of Utah Inc. to defraud the United States and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
“The defendants allegedly destroyed at least $28,028.50 worth of government-provided COVID-19 vaccines, and distributed at least 1,937 doses’ worth of fraudulently completed vaccination record cards to others in exchange for either direct cash payments or required ‘donations’ to a specified charitable organization, without administering a COVID-19 vaccine to the card recipient.
“As charged in court documents, defendants also administered saline shots to minors – at the request of their parents – so children would think they were receiving a COVID-19 vaccine.”
Co-defendants
Besides Moore, those named in the indictment are Kari Dee Burgoyne, 52, Kristin Jackson Andersen, 59, and Sandra Flores, 31.
All are charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States; conspiracy to convert, sell, convey, and dispose of government property; and conversion, sale, conveyance, and disposal of government property and aiding and abetting.
A federal grand jury in Salt Lake City returned an indictment on Jan. 11, according to information released Wednesday.
Curt L. Muller, Special Agent in Charge with the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General, shared a statement on the case.
“By allegedly falsifying vaccine cards and administering saline shots to children instead of COVID-19 vaccines, not only did this provider endanger the health and well-being of a vulnerable population, but also undermined public trust and the integrity of federal health care programs,” Muller said. “HHS-OIG remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable bad actors who attempt to illegally profit from the pandemic.”
Acting Special Agent in Charge Chris Miller, HSI Las Vegas, also shared thoughts.
“This defendant allegedly used his medical profession to administer bogus vaccines to unsuspecting people, to include children falsifying a sense of security,” Miller said. “HSI remains committed to working with our partners to bring those who seek to take advantage of the pandemic to deliberately harm and deceive others for their own profit to justice.”
The defendants are scheduled for their initial court appearance on Jan. 26.
