Error on fake vaccination card leads to a woman’s arrest at Honolulu Airport
Authorities arrested three more people who allegedly used falsified COVID-19 vaccination cards to travel to Hawaii.
Special agents arrested Chloe Mrozak, 24, of Illinois at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu Saturday for alleged use of a fake vaccination card to bypass the state’s 10-day quarantine requirement, a violation of Gov. David Ige’s emergency proclamation.
Special agent Wilson Lau said airport screeners alerted them of a suspicious vaccination card after they noticed the misspelling of the vaccine Moderna as “Maderna” on the card.
Agents contacted the Holiday Inn Express Waikiki on Kuhio Avenue which Mrozak listed in the Safe Travels Program system as her place of stay. Lau noted she did not provide a reservation number.
The hotel notified agents that Mrozak was not a registered guest. “She did not have any hotel reservation at all,” Lau said during a phone interview with the Honolulu Star-Advertiser Wednesday. “
Mrozak arrived in Hawaii on Aug. 23. Lau said they arrested her at the airport where she was scheduled to take a Southwestern Airlines flight back to Illinois.
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She was charged with one count of violation of the governor’s emergency proclamation. She made her initial appearance at Honolulu District Court Monday and was released from the Oahu Community Correctional Center Wednesday. Mrozak is scheduled to appear at her next court hearing on Sept. 22.
Authorities also arrested a couple, 37-year-old Maurice Beavers and 36-year-old Aaliyah Sharif of Atlanta, Ga. at a hotel in Waikiki upon checkout Tuesday for alleged used of falsified vaccination cards. Both posted bail set at $2,000 each and are scheduled to appear in court via Zoom Wednesday.
To date, investigators arrested a total of seven people on Oahu that include two families — one from California and the other from Florida — since Aug. 8 for alleged use of falsified vaccination cards.
Lau urged visitors to adhere to the laws as the safety for Hawaii communities is crucial especially when medical resources are limited, he said.
In a statement, Gary Yamashiroya, special assistant to the Attorney General, said, “As these Emergency Proclamation violations come to light, the Hawaii Department of the Attorney General will actively investigate and prosecute these cases, seeking accountability of those that try to circumvent the State’s efforts to keep its communities safe. Airport screeners remain vigilant in identifying falsified vaccination cards and we rely on members of the public to provide tips.”
Falsifying a COVID-19 vaccination card is a federal offense. In Hawaii, using falsified proof of testing or vaccination documents for travel is a misdemeanor that carries a fine of up to $5,000 and/or imprisonment of up to one year for each count.