Meanwhile in Florida: ‘Paramedic of the Year’ Arrested For Forging COVID Vaccine Documents

If you care about your life and believe in science, you’re probably trying to figure out how to get a COVID vaccine. You’ve likely tried calling your doctor’s office, trolling your state’s health department website, and have been on the lookout for any opportunities to get a shot in the arm. And maybe, just maybe, you’ve let yourself scheme a bit on how to get innoculated before, say, 2022. (Given how slow this rollout is going, you never know.)

So we can’t say we’d blame anyone for imagining how to cut the vaccine line. We wouldn’t actually do anything illegal ourselves, but we understand the inclination. Take this guy, for example. Joshua Colon is a 31-year-old EMT from Polk County, Florida, who was named 2020 Paramedic of the Year. Despite that accolade, he was recently caught forging vaccine screening and consent forms in an attempt to procure three doses of the vaccines that were meant for his fellow first responders.

It all started on Jan. 6 when Colon was given three vials of 10 vaccine doses each. He was supposed to administer them to firefighters, each of whom had to fill out and sign aforementioned forms. At the end of the day, all the vaccine was gone but the paper trail was lacking. Colon said he’d get to the bottom of the oversight and later provided three names of firefighters. Upon further investigation, however, two of those named claimed they never received a vaccine and the third was completely made up.

When pressed, Colon admitted he fabricated the paperwork – but he said his supervisor made him do it. According to Colon, the supervisor joked about getting the vaccine for his mother. When Colon refused to give the supervisor access to the vaccine, the supervisor threatened him, saying he would spread rumors that Colon had been selling vaccines. So he caved…sort of. He put three sealed doses of the vaccine in a special fridge, then went to take a break. When he returned, the seal had been broken and the vaccines were gone. Fearing retribution, Colon tried to cover the whole mess up. Obviously, he failed.

Colon was charged with four counts of forgery, four counts of uttering a forged instrument, four counts of falsifying medical records, two counts of creating a fictional personal ID, criminal use of personal ID, and official misconduct. Yikes. Unsurprisingly, he resigned from his gig. No word on whether the supervisor will face any consequences.

Let this be a lesson, kids: wait your turn and get the COVID vaccine the upstanding way or you might end up in jail…the last place you want to be mid-pandemic.

Cover Photo: Polk County Sherriff’s Office

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