3 Vermont state troopers resigned after alleged involvement in a fake vaccination card scheme

• Three Vermont State Troopers resigned amid allegations they participate in a fake COVID-19 vaccine card scheme.
• The Vermont State Police announced the resignations Tuesday - nearly a month after the first two officers resigned.
• "The accusations in this case involve an extraordinary level of misconduct," said Vermont State Police Director Col. Matthew T. Birmingham.

Three Vermont state troopers resigned over the last month following accusations they participated in a fake COVID-19 vaccination card scheme.

According to a Tuesday news release from the Vermont State Police, two officers - Shawn Sommers and Raymond Witkowski - resigned August 10, one day another officer "raised concerns" about their conduct to a supervisor.

Another officer - David Pfindel - resigned on September 3 after an investigation by the Department of Public Safety, the news release said.

Producing fake vaccination cards is a crime, though they're relatively easy to create and obtain, as Insider previously reported, and allow unvaccinated individuals access to spaces that require the COVID-19 vaccine.

The details of the scheme have not been released. The Vermont State Police said Tuesday it could not provide further information on the details about the scheme because it had referred the case to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the US Attorney's Office in Burlington.

The police agency also said it took nearly a month to announce the scheme because of the active investigation.

A spokesperson for the US Attorney's Office confirmed the matter had been referred to the agency but said it had no further comment Wednesday. An FBI spokesperson likewise had no comment to provide Wednesday, citing an "ongoing investigation."

In a statement, Vermont State Police Director Col. Matthew T. Birmingham said he was "embarrassed."

"The accusations in this case involve an extraordinary level of misconduct - a criminal violation of the law - and I could not be more upset and disappointed," Birmingham said.

"If these allegations are proved to be true, it is reprehensible that state troopers would manipulate vaccination cards in the midst of a pandemic, when being vaccinated is one of the most important steps anyone can take to keep their community safe from COVID-19," he added.

The Vermont Troopers' Association, the organization that represents Vermont police, did not immediately return Insider's request for comment Tuesday.

According to the news release, Sommers and Witkowski joined the state police in 2016 and were assigned to various field stations beginning in 2017. Pfindel joined the state police in 2014 and worked as a detective trooper and a road trooper, according to the Vermont State Police.

Vermont has one of the highest COVID-19 vaccination rates in the US, with just over 77% of the state population over the age of 12 fully vaccinated against the disease, according to data from the Vermont Department of Health.