Sentencing Elkabbass, Judge Weekes said she had "fought this case tooth and nail, refusing to accept the fact that you had not been diagnosed with cancer". financed Instagram. Woman fakes cancer, scams thousands of dollars - FOX 5 Atlanta Prosecutor Ben Irwin said Elkabbas was a confident trickster running a sophisticated, planned, researched scam. She said in an interview with the North Scott Press on Oct. 18 that she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer on Feb. 10, 2022, and with leukemia a few months later. A woman who faked having cancer and raked in more than 45,000 in donations from well-wishers has been jailed. Can Nigeria's election result be overturned? Georgia woman faked cancer diagnosis, collected $15K in donations, deputies say Polk County police said 22-year-old Katie Lynn Shellhorse collected thousands of dollars from the Cedartown area in . Woman who faked ovarian cancer in 45,000 fraud is jailed On November 5, 2010, the week that Kirilow pleaded guilty, Ontario Police announced the arrest of Jessica Ann Leeder, a 21-year-old Huntsville, Ontario woman, who is also accused of using Facebook to solicit funds to treat a non-existent cancer. Her sentence explicitly barred her community service from including any duties connected with fund-raising for charities. After youve been living with a big lie on your chest for years, I can imagine it becomes part of your identity., He added that he is eager to move past the legal repercussions of her actions so that his family can work toward a healthier and brighter future., Her father, Thomas Maneri, also called Riley thoughtful and kind in his own written statement, adding that she put other peoples feelings often before her own., Ive tried to be equally supportive of Amanda, and although she didnt have cancer, she has struggled with several other physical health issues, he said. Jensen committed two counts of communications fraud and two counts of forgery, when she forged medical documents that claimed that she had cancer, and accepted . Ann Crall, a woman who faked cancer to obtain donations, was sentenced today in District Court in Golden to 90 days in jail for her crime. He was heartbroken, he continued, when he saw how her horrible decision weighed on her. This defendant went to appalling lengths to avoid her initial prison sentence by falsifying medical documents to claim she had cancer, FBI Special Agent in Charge Stacey Moy said in a statement. Jessica Smith's attorney, Michael D. DiCindio, declined to provide a comment to ABC News. A search warrant was carried out at her Bettendorf residence, but officials found no evidence. After her fifteen months of house arrest and curfew her sentence required her to do 100 hours of community service. U.S. District Judge Anthony Battaglia gave her a three-month reprieve to report to prison. Madison Russo, 19, allegedly faked having cancer for months. A former fashion consultant broke into tears as she was jailed Wednesday for swindling more than $70,000 from well-wishers by claiming she needed to pay for cancer treatment but using the money instead on her lavish lifestyle, according to a report. Holmes . 2023 BBC. She also allegedly said that she had 16 inches of her colon removed showing a "non-descript document" that indicated she underwent surgery. Elkabbas had been "in the grip of a gambling addiction" at the time of the offences, but had since sought treatment, he said. It wasnt until 2019 that her ruse was up, outed by the Internal Revenue Service and charged with one count of wire fraud in 2020, which she pleaded guilty to last fall. Illinois woman sentenced to 18 months for faking cancer, conning Video, Russian minister laughed at for Ukraine war claims, convicted by a jury at Canterbury Crown Court in November, Harry: I feared losing memories of mum during therapy, US-made cheese can be called 'gruyere' - court, AOC under investigation for Met Gala dress, The children left behind in Cuba's exodus, Alex Murdaugh's legal troubles are far from over, Saving Private Ryan actor Tom Sizemore dies at 61, Walkie Talkie architect Rafael Violy dies aged 78. A . Australian woman 'who faked cancer for cash' is charged Oliver Kirk, defending, said the bereavement had left her with responsibility to care for both her teenage son and 77-year-old father. DAVENPORT, Iowa (KWQC) - A woman accused of obtaining more than $37,000 in donations by falsely claiming she had cancer has pleaded not guilty.. Madison M. Russo, 19, filed her written plea . Riley's sentencing is scheduled for February 22, 2022. She also shaved her head to fit the part. Kirilow told Toronto Star that she had lied about being terminally ill.[10]. Chester County District Attorney's Office. Nguyen also quoted a spokeswoman for the Canadian Cancer Society, who "could not say" whether donations had lagged for anti-cancer charities, due to Kirilow. On Wednesday, Jan. 11 around 6 p.m., the Eldridge Police Department was made aware of 19-year-old Madison Russo, who was suspected of stealing over $37,303 from over 439 donors by using false claims that she, "suffered from Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, Stage 2 Pancreatic Cancer and a tumor, the size of a football, that wrapped around her spine.". In the description, she said she required chemotherapy and radiation at various hospitals like Johns Hopkins. [8], When she was sentenced, in April 2011, as part of his explanation for her relatively lenient sentence, Justice Fred Forsyth noted how young her biological parents were when she was born. In 2018, she set up a GoFundMe campaign, which said she had just weeks to raise money for major surgery in Spain. He said their fears did not materialize. Elizabeth Holmes, Theranos C.E.O. and Silicon Valley Star, Accused of 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Police said in a news release that she was arrested on Jan. 23 and is facing a charge of theft by means of deception after stealing money from donors. Pennsylvania woman arrested for faking cancer and collecting $10K in When Kirilow's fraud was made public, her story was republished around the world. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. I contacted Nicole and got taken for the ride of my life. ", "Facebook-Schwindlerin verhaftet: Ashley (23) hatte gar keinen Krebs", "A strns mii de dolari dup ce s-a ras pe cap i i-a smuls genele", "Acusada de fraude una joven que gan miles de dlares tras fingir que padeca cncer", "Ashley Kirilow, accused cancer faker, allegedly fielding death threats", "Woman pleads guilty to faking cancer to raise cash", "Bail granted to woman who admitted faking cancer", "Accused cancer fraudster Ashley Kirilow granted bail", "Ashley Kirilow granted bail: John Howard Society steps up after nobody else did", "No jail for woman who faked cancer: Under psychiatric care after pocketing donations", "Ashley Kirilow to face shoplifting charges", "Cancer faker proves to be her own worst enemy: Charged with shoplifting, she's not getting the psychiatric help she needs", "Maybe Kirilow didn't get the help she needs", "Fifteen days in jail for minor shoplifting crime", "Judge firm but gentle with Kirilow: Convicted fraud artist gets 30 more days in jail", "Cancer faker appears in Milton courthouse", "Cancer faker Ashley Kirilow jailed for latest breach", "Accused cancer fraudster faces new charge", "Woman charged in cancer fraud out on bail", "Family looking for help to raise $300,000 for experimental treatment", "Kirilow blames cancer charity scam on miserable childhood", "Ont. North Carolina woman faked cancer to scam friend out of money: police However, the court heard the image had actually been taken during routine gallbladder treatment several months earlier. or redistributed. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Refunds will be processed for all donors, and they will receive a notification when the refund is issued. She was arrested on Valentine's Day. Ohio Nurse Who Faked Cancer, Scammed Money Gets 2 Years in Prison The company faces a separate federal criminal inquiry, in which no charges have been filed yet. Elkabbas's lies also had a negative impact on genuine fundraisers, by promoting "scepticism and even cynicism in an area that can ill-afford it," the judge said. ", "Even though the sums may be relatively low, it's the wicked way in which the lies were told continuously. Toni Standen after she'd shaved her head. She later revealed to her co-workers that she had been diagnosed with cancer. Woman jailed for fake cancer GoFundMe fundraising fraud An Iowa woman who faked a cancer diagnosis to steal tens of thousands of dollars in donations has been arrested and charged with theft, according to police. Chester County resident Jessica Ann Smith, 31, allegedly created two fundraisers in June -- one on GoFundMe and the other on Facebook -- seeking donations to assist with medical bills and other related costs for a diagnosis of colon cancer, according to a criminal complaint filed last week. [41] By. Madison Russo, 19, is now charged with theft after purporting to be suffering from "leukemia, stage 2 pancreatic cancer and a tumor, the size of a football, that wrapped around her spine," the Eldridge Police Department said in a news release. [27] Faking Breast Cancer and Genetic Disorders Leads to Prison Sentence for Highland Woman. We've received your submission. Woman charged with faking cancer diagnosis to steal thousands - Madison In 2016, federal regulators barred Ms. Holmes from owning and operating a medical laboratory for two years, sanctions that Theranos said it would appeal. Jessica Krecskay, 25, was indicted for theft by deception exceeding $10,000 for allegedly raising money under false pretenses aka claiming she was sick when in reality she was not. Video; Shop; Wellness; Food; Culture; Family; . California woman who faked cancer to avoid prison gets two more years The Melbourne woman was fined in 2017 for . Kirilow was released under the supervision of the John Howard Society. Arguably she was one of those people.. Madison Russo, formerly of Bettendorf, is charged . He said her mother had really died in April this year, since the offences were committed. All of the funds will be refunded to the donors in full. Veterans donated to a woman who said she was a Marine combat veteran dying of cancer. Police said in a news release that she was arrested on Jan. 23 and is facing a charge of theft by means of deception after stealing money from donors.. Russo also spoke about her "cancer journey . This story has been shared 166,458 times. GoFundMe said in a statement to McClatchy News that it has a "zero tolerance policy for misuse of our platform and cooperates with law enforcement investigations of those accused of wrongdoing. Robert told the detective that the handwriting and signature on the paperwork were actually his wife's, according to the complaint. [31], On November 10, 2011, she received an additional 30 days in jail for breaching terms of her conditional sentence. The final victim was Wood's landlady, who was given various excuses why Wood could not pay her rent and had taken 500 intended for improvement work to the home. Can Nigeria's election result be overturned? Since beginning her bogus campaign in October 2012, she launched her personal blog titled Lymphoma Can Suck It, posting photos of herself online talking about her treatment and special cancer drugs. Kirilow surrendered to the police on August 6, 2010. Although a biopsy showed the lump was benign, she told people she had cancer. Chavezs attorney, Benjamin Kington, said in a sentencing memorandum that Chavez had given birth to her son while awaiting sentencing in the embezzlement case and the thought of being separated from him terrified her. She did have some medical problems, but not cancer, the attorney said. A mother allegedly lied to the public that her daughter was sick with cancer to get rich. Get up to speed with our Essential California newsletter, sent six days a week. "Based on the current investigation we believe that this fundraiser violated our terms," said a spokesperson from Facebook in a comment to ABC News.