Waterbury Woman Sentenced For Falsifying COVID Vaccine Records: Feds

WATERBURY, CT — A Waterbury woman who created false COVID-19 vaccine records has been sentenced, according to federal prosecutors. Zaya Powell, 25, will serve three years of probation.

She was also ordered to pay a $5,000 fine and perform 200 hours of community service.

Powell worked as a data entry specialist for Griffin Health Services Corporation and traveled to various COVID-19 vaccination sites in Connecticut operated by Griffin Health. Powell did not administer vaccines but did have access to the Griffin Health electronic health record system and to stacks of blank COVID-19 vaccination cards.

She also had access to the Vaccine Administration Management System (VAMS), a database developed by the CDC that tracked COVID-19 vaccine administration.

Between August and October 2021, Powell created fraudulent vaccination records in VAMS for 14 people, according to prosecutors. The records indicated that each of the 14 had received a single-dose Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccination at a Griffin Health location when, in fact, none had received any COVID-19 vaccination from Griffin Health or any other health care provider.

To create the fraudulent vaccination record, Powell entered each person’s name and date of birth into VAMS. She also created fraudulent COVID-19 vaccination cards for each of the 14, and distributed the cards to the individuals or to their family members or co-workers.

The fraudulent cards included lot numbers of genuine vaccines that were administered to other Griffin Health patients, according to prosecutors.

Four of the people who Powell provided the fraudulent cards to were state employees who worked at the Southbury Training School, a Connecticut Department of Developmental Services facility in Southbury.

Powell pleaded guilty to one count of making a false statement relating to a health care matter Aug. 12.

The four Southbury Training School employees were charged in state court and their cases are pending.