Anthony Damiano, a captain at Polk County Fire Rescue, allegedly took three syringes containing doses of Moderna’s vaccine, with the aim of giving doses to his elderly mother, according to an affidavit.
Damiano surrendered Wednesday afternoon, according to the affidavit.
He is charged with petit theft and causes another person to falsify official records as a civil servant. According to inmates, he was released from Polk County Jail.
CNN unsuccessfully tried to contact him for comment.
Damiano is the second person arrested in this case. Earlier this week, paramedic Joshua Colon was arrested for his alleged role in falsifying vouchers and consent forms that, according to officials, “set the circumstances” that led to the theft.
According to the affidavit, Colon told investigators that Damiano “joked” with him about how he should get some doses for his mother and the paramedic said he could report them as “waste”.
According to Colon, Damiano, when he refused to give the vaccine, threatened to ‘tell his supervisors that Colon sells vaccines outside of work’, according to the sheriff’s statement.
“Colon said he was scared because of Captain Damiano’s rank in the agency,” the statement said.
Damiano ordered Colon to take a breather, and when he returned to the station, three vaccines were missing in the refrigerator, according to Colon’s statement to investigators.
Colon then “made up the stories and the false documents” to offset the missing doses, Grady Judd Sheriff Polk County told a news conference on Tuesday.
Colon’s attorney, David R. Carmichael, said in a statement to CNN that Colon “experienced a very difficult situation when a supervisor insisted that Colon provide unauthorized doses of Covid vaccine for use by the supervisor. see family. ”
Colon “deeply regrets its weakness in not warning the supply chain about the theft of the vaccine,” Carmichael said.
Two of the doses were later found in Damiano’s car, according to the affidavit. According to Polk County Fire Chief Robert Weech, it was no longer viable.
According to the statement, Damiano’s mother told investigators that her son tried to get her vaccinated. She said she did not get the vaccine, believing he was “trying to help her get the vaccine legal.”
According to department spokesman Chris Jonckheer, Damiano resigned from Polder County Fire Rescue before surrendering to authorities.
Colon also resigned, Weech said earlier this week.