Tujunga doctor accused of issuing fake COVID vaccine cards, injecting patients with blood plasma
The doctor told patients the procedure would protect them from contracting COVID, officials said.
TUJUNGA, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- An osteopathic doctor in Tujunga is accused of issuing fake COVID-19 vaccination cards and injecting some of his patients with blood plasma from donors who contracted the virus.
According to the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office, 68-year-old Donald Plance was charged with 10 felony counts of making a forged government seal and 10 misdemeanor counts of making a false medical record.
He's also facing misdemeanor charges for allegedly making a drug without a license and having a contaminated medical device.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the district attorney's office said between August and November last year, Plance allegedly made his own vaccination cards and gave them to his patients.
The cards appeared to be legitimate, according to authorities, and included government seals.
"It is disturbing that people, especially medical professionals, continue to use the pandemic as an opportunity to deceive the public," said L.A. County District Attorney George Gascón. "Fake COVID vaccination cards are illegal and endanger our collective health and well-being."
Plance also allegedly injected his patients with blood plasma from donors who previously had COVID, claiming that the procedure "would protect his patients from contracting the virus," the district attorney's office said.
"Blood plasma injections are not a federally approved vaccination," the DA's office said. "It is recommended that patients seek guidance from a licensed medical provider."
The case is now being investigated by the California Department of Consumer Affairs Division of Investigation, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General.
Plance's arraignment will be scheduled for a later date.
