Multnomah County deputy pleads guilty to vaccine card scam

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A Multnomah County sheriff's deputy pleaded guilty Tuesday to misusing vaccine cards, according to the Multnomah County District Attorney's Office.

Robert James Haney, 50, of Battle Ground, Washington, will serve six months probation, resign from the sheriff's office, relinquish his Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training certification, and pay a $500 fine, a news release states.

He was indicted in September for stealing COVID-19 vaccination cards from the Multnomah County Jail, where he worked.

Investigators said he stole two blank cards during a vaccine clinic at the jail. He made a copy of a co-worker's card and filled in the blank cards with the intention of giving them to family members, prosecutors said.

Co-workers reported that Haney stole the cards in May and detectives investigated, the Columbian reported. Officials searched Haney's Battle Ground house and seized two COVID-19 vaccination cards from a kitchen cupboard, according to a property receipt.

"Allegations of misconduct are serious matters for public safety agencies," Multnomah County Sheriff Mike Reese said in the news release. "Our profession's credibility is damaged when any member engages in illegal actions or misconduct."