POLK COUNTY, Ga - A Polk County woman was arrested after police said she faked cancer to scam thousands of dollars out of friends and strangers. Instagram. Elkabbas, of Broadstairs, Kent, had provided victims with "detailed and at times graphic accounts" of the treatment she claimed to be receiving "with a view to keeping those you had snared in your web of lies paying you money," the judge said. An Illinois woman who lied about having breast cancer and other genetic disorders in order to steal thousands of dollars from non-profit organizations and kind strangers has been sentenced to 18 . Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. with muscular dystrophy or a mother who was diagnosed with Stage 4 terminal breast cancer. Wronzberg's father described concerns that Kirilow's fraud would discourage donations to their fund. Holmes . 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. He said their fears did not materialize. Later that year, Theranos announced it was closing its lab and laying off about 340 employees, or more than 40 percent of its work force. exploited people's trust, their kindness, their sympathy and their . Innovators who seek to revolutionize and disrupt an industry must tell investors the truth about what their technology can do today, not just what they hope it might do someday.. Brooke Kato. Through its proprietary nanotainer devices, the company claimed to be able to perform myriad lab tests from just a few drops of blood, avoiding the pain and inconvenience of a conventional blood test. A 31-year-old woman who created a fake life of having a child with terminal cancer and earning a Purple Heart for injuries she sustained in combat was sentenced to two years in prison on Sept. 7 in Franklin County Superior Court. "Anytime someone is diagnosed with cancer . 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. St. Ambrose University has not confirmed if Russo spoke at its institution. Amanda Riley, from San Jose, faked a Hodgkins lymphoma diagnosis, claiming in 2012 that she needed donations for her medical expenses. Ms. Michelle Lynn Stultz, 46, has been charged with four counts of felony obtaining property by false pretenses after lying about "financial hardships due to medical treatments," according to the Iredell County Sheriff's Office. Nicole Elkabbas set up a GoFundMe page claiming she had ovarian cancer but instead splurged the cash on restaurants and gambling, Canterbury Crown Court was previously told. He said her mother had really died in April this year, since the offences were committed. Robert Smith also recalled a recent telephone conversation he overheard in which his wife was allegedly claiming to be a nurse from "Penn Medicine" while speaking to a representative for her employer, Marco Protection Systems. [2][42]Skateboard personality Rob Dyer's organization Skate4Cancer Other monetary donations flowed in from Facebook, a CrossFit fund-raiser, raffles, various sales and even eBay auctions, which included an electric guitar signed by country musicians LeAnn Rimes and John Michael Montgomery. (Eldridge Police Department), Project Purple told McClatchy News that this "is an unfortunate situation for everyone involved.". Kristina Davis is the Enterprise editor, guiding coverage of topics important to the region, including border life, immigration, the environment, higher education, legal affairs and the military. He was heartbroken, he continued, when he saw how her horrible decision weighed on her. A tentative trial date has been scheduled for a 19-year-old woman accused of bilking more than $37,000 from donors over a fake cancer diagnosis. Elkabbas had been "in the grip of a gambling addiction" at the time of the offences, but had since sought treatment, he said. Raised in Tucson, Ariz., she began her career at Phoenixs two daily newspapers after graduating from Arizona State University with a degree in journalism. "Based on the current investigation we believe that this fundraiser violated our terms," said a spokesperson from Facebook in a comment to ABC News. The fundraiser collected $7000. She claimed she only had a year or two to live. addicts who had disowned her. She joined The San Diego Union-Tribune in 2006 originally as a crime and public safety reporter. Her parents fought often and sometimes imposed harsh punishments on the children, but her basic needs were met, and while she did not have many friends growing up, she was an excellent student who participated in extracurricular activities., Family and former co-workers testified Tuesday in court about how caring Riley is. Judge Weekes said that he had "very significantly reduced the sentence" to limit the amount of time that her son would be without his mother. . January 27, 2023 1:10 PM. The GoFundMe page was still up as of Monday afternoon, with donations rolling in as recently as Saturday. This is Silicon Valley hubris in force, said Lakshman Ramamurthy, a former official with the Food and Drug Administration and currently the global regulatory lead at Foundation Medicine. On the site, there was once a donate now button for generous people to fund her treatments, making donations in the name of supporting her. complaint made public Wednesday outlined a concerted effort by Ms. Holmes and Theranos to exaggerate the companys technology, when in fact the vast majority of the tests it was conducting were done using traditional equipment made by other companies. Jennifer Lawrence will play Ms. Holmes in a forthcoming movie. 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. A WOMAN jailed for harassing a Sinn Fein TD has now alleged she has been the victim of a smear campaign behind bars - after 'malicious rumours' were spread that she had been impregnated . They lent her 2,000, with Wood using the cancer story again with them and the husband even walked Wood's dogs every day to help her out. Can Nigeria's election result be overturned? said. Police began an investigation in 2018 after a doctor, who had recently given her the all-clear, saw her crowd-funding page and raised suspicions. Later that day, Saroha confirmed to police that Jessica Smith was not receiving any treatment other than iron infusions for anemia, the complaint states. Kirilow told Toronto Star that she had lied about being terminally ill.[10]. On Wednesday, the Securities and Exchange Commission charged Ms. Holmes, now 34, with widespread fraud, accusing her of exaggerating even lying about her technology while raising $700 million from investors. [41], According to reports, Kirilow was working as a receptionist at the Sutton Group Results Realty Inc. office in September 2008. Fox News Flash top headlines are here. A North Carolina woman told her friend she was dying of cancer and needed money to live. It was able to raise $100 million in debt last December, according to Crunchbase. The Theranos story is an important lesson for Silicon Valley, Jina L. Choi, director of the S.E.C.s San Francisco regional office, said in a statement. Most recently, she covered federal courts and a variety of criminal justice and legal issues. She is extremely remorseful and is determined to do everything possible both to make restitution and to earn the forgiveness of the people she has hurt.. When the detective called Saroha, he confirmed that Jessica Smith was a patient but said she was not suffering from any condition she was claiming, adding that he was "obviously aware" of the claims she was making, the complaint states. ", Hospital backlogs leave West Midlands ambulances waiting 44,000 hours, Tributes pour in for Terry Hall after The Specials lead singer dies at 63, Tory MP reads out AI-generated speech in Commons 'first'. Now 38-year-old Ashleigh Lynn Chavez of Chula Vista will serve an additional two years on . On Sept. 12, Jessica Smith was invited to the police station to "discuss her concerns of online harassment and bullying," according to the complaint. KENTON COUNTY, Ky. An Edgewood woman who faked a cancer diagnosis for several years will report to the Kenton County Detention Center Friday to begin a 60-day sentence. An investigative journalist uncovered the truth, when in 2018 Alemi was convicted at Carlisle Crown Court of attempting to forge the will and powers of attorney of an 84-year-old widow from . The latest group of victims were elderly residents who live near her home in Marwell Close, off Thurcaston Road, in Leicester. She claimed a costly "breakthrough drug" could improve her chances, and included an image of her lying in a hospital bed. A woman who faked a cancer diagnosis to claim more than 45,000 in donations has been jailed for 33 months. The woman's husband is one of the people who turned her into police for fraud. Los Angeles, Calmes: Heres what we should do about Marjorie Taylor Greene, This fabled orchid breeder loves to chat just not about Trader Joes orchids, David Lindley, guitarist best known for work with Jackson Browne, dies at 78, Elliott: Kings use their heads over hearts in trading Jonathan Quick. A. conwoman who faked her ovarian cancer journey to swindle more than 45,000 to spend on holidays and a box at White Hart Lane has been jailed. UK woman faked cancer, scammed people to splurge on fancy lifestyle: report. KITCHENER A judge has rejected a defence recommendation of house arrest for a Kitchener woman who faked cancer and convinced church members to give her . Kirilow visited children in hospital, receiving cancer treatment. The 42-year-old, who was described by the . Walgreens signed onto a partnership in 2013, next to the headline The Next Steve Jobs., Theranos announced it was closing its lab, Jennifer Lawrence will play Ms. Holmes in a forthcoming movie, an attempt to salvage her company two years ago, recently allowed to begin offering certain tests directly to consumers. Judge Weekes said the impact on the NHS was the most significant impact of her "deeply offensive" behaviour. [48]Maclean's called her the "photogenic queen" of cancer fraudsters, when it included her in a list that included Osama bin Laden and Russell Williams, a notorious sexual sadist and serial killer. 14,950 was obtained by fraud over the 18 months, and 11,600 of it has never been repaid. Read about our approach to external linking. Court documents also state that she took photos posted by real cancer patients and shared them as her own. For the seven offences of fraud, Wood was jailed for three years. Madison Russo, 19, allegedly faked having cancer for months. After her court appearance, while trying to explain the scrutiny which the Kirilow's case triggered, the lawyer said: It's the perfect storm. A lawyer for Ms. Holmes, John Dwyer, declined to comment. Zholia Alemi "had the power to detain mental health patients Kirilow had not spent the year between her arrest and her sentencing in jail. In a letter to the judge, Chavez said that she panicked and that she was sorry for her deceit. 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 . [10], Kirilow is also accused of further raising thousands of dollars for her own benefit through a charity called "Change for the Cure" on Facebook. Oliver Kirk, defending, said the bereavement had left her with responsibility to care for both her teenage son and 77-year-old father. Kirilow was sentenced to 10 months of house arrest, followed by five months where she would have a curfew. Kirilow's trip to Disneyworld. MURDER OF 2 IOWA STUDENTS WAS A TARGETED ATTACK, ACCORDING TO POLICE, Eldridge Police said Russo was arrested on Jan. 23 and is facing a charge of theft by means of deception after stealing money from donors. Wood, using a fake name, tricked another woman living near to her to pay her 1,200 and said she would pay it back in two months. In fact, Riley had no cancer-related expenses, and donors funds were simply deposited into Rileys personal bank account.. Jamie Parker has sin She also shaved her head to fit the part. Police claim she posted frequently to social media about her fake illness before getting caught. Legal Statement. Authorities have again raided the home of con woman Belle Gibson, who faked brain cancer, to try to recoup her unpaid fines. The Melbourne woman was fined in 2017 for . Woman Allegedly Faked Cancer by Shaving Head, Swindled $10,000 and . A MUM who faked cancer to swindle more than 52,000 from well-wishers to splurge on holidays sobbed as she was jailed today. Even Rileys family was convinced that she had lymphoma and loyally stood beside her; she even went so far as to sue someone who questioned it. [51], Kirilow mentioned in the context of similar frauds, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Ashley Kirilow vilified for alleged cancer charity scam", "Are Cancer Fraudsters Desperate or Psychopathic? (WTHR) - Police in Marion arrested a 39-year-old woman who allegedly faked having cancer out of a desire for attention. Read about our approach to external linking. The next time she was approached for the cash, she claimed she was inheriting money from her mother - but her mother was still alive. "You tugged at their heart string," he said. Sgt. At conservative gathering, Trump is still the favourite. Fake doctor jailed . Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. She is barred from serving as an officer or director of any public company for 10 years. What did Disney actually lose from its Florida battle with DeSantis? Oliver Kirk, defending, said the bereavement had left her with responsibility to care for both her teenage son and 77-year-old father. They are good people and its the very goodness that's been exploited.". Kirilow has offered the explanation that she pretended to have cancer to make her family pay for an unhappy childhood. But the tide soon turned, after investigations raised serious questions about whether the blood testing technology even worked at all. Market data provided by Factset. The company faces a separate federal criminal inquiry, in which no charges have been filed yet. Nicole Elkabbas tricked kind-hearted members of . A former Theranos employee, Mr. Shultz is described as cooperating with federal investigators on matters that pitted him against his grandfather, a key adviser to Ms. Holmes. However, the court heard the image had actually been taken during routine gallbladder treatment several months earlier. Witnesses claiming to have medical experience said they noticed "many medical discrepancies" in Russos social media posts and contacted police, The Kansas City Star reported. Authorities were notified of the fundraisers after her husband, Robert Smith, and an acquaintance reported the campaigns to the Uwchlan Township Police Department on June 19. 3 min read. Madison Russo, formerly of Bettendorf, is charged . Kirilow faced three additional charges of fraud under $5000 at her November 1 appearance. When Kirilow's fraud was made public, her story was republished around the world. Elkabbas, who pleaded not guilty and claimed she believed she had cancer, was convicted by a jury at Canterbury Crown Court in November. Refunds will be processed for all donors, and they will receive a notification when the refund is issued. 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. She was arraigned and released on her own recognizance and will appear for a preliminary hearing on Nov. 12, according to WPVI. "Your actions, as you well know, are insulting to those who must genuinely and courageously face the battle against cancer," he added. All rights reserved. ZUMAPRESS.com. Iowa. [36], Commentators speculated about the effect her Facebook fraud would have on other charities' online donations.[2][37][38]. Kirilow's lawyer, Brendan Neill, appeared on her behalf in a Milton court on October 1, 2010. Now Adshead has been jailed for 28 months at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court, Stoke Live reports. Nicole Elkabbas set up a GoFundMe page claiming she had ovarian cancer but instead splurged the cash on restaurants and gambling, Canterbury Crown Court was previously told. The Facebook fundraiser, titled "#FightLikeAJessica," stated that she had recently been treated for colon cancer and required "extensive medical treatment and travel expenses plus unpaid time off work.". 2023 BBC. Police claim she posted frequently to social media about her fake illness before getting caught. Updated. 2023 BBC. Jennifer Flynn Cataldo, 37, of . This story has been shared 166,458 times. Russo was released just four hours after being booked into the Scott County Jail on Monday. In a statement, read to the court, Steven Pompeus, of East Kent Hospitals NHS trust, said that during the Covid-19 pandemic two consultants were "taken out of the frontline" to give evidence "when their work was plainly better needed working within the NHS and working clinically". The cancer was too aggressive, the note explained, and Ashleigh Lynn Chavez needed treatment. Toni Standen after she'd shaved her head. This offensive conduct is an affront to every person fighting that battle.. At conservative gathering, Trump is still the favourite. Nicole Elkabbas, 42, set up an online fundraising campaign, falsely claiming she needed . In a statement, read to the court, Steven Pompeus, of East Kent Hospitals NHS trust, said that during the Covid-19 pandemic two consultants were "taken out of the frontline" to give evidence "when their work was plainly better needed working within the NHS and working clinically". On a GoFundMe page that has since been removed, Russo raised more than $37,000 from 438 donations, according to the Muscatine Journal. It turned out that the image, which she used to evoke sympathy for her alleged ovarian cancer, was actually from a previous operation to remove her gallbladder, according to The Sun. 6:14. Kirilow's Facebook page described a charity she said she set up, entitled Change for the Cure. On March 2, 2012, The Hamilton Spectator confirmed that her conditional sentence had been revoked. Ms. Holmes also assembled a star-studded board of directors, including the former secretaries of state George P. Shultz and Henry A. Kissinger as well as two former United States senators. The 66-year-old made up multiple lies about why she needed the money, including being in desperate need of help to save her catering business. The notes were fake, and Chavez was sentenced to an additional two years. 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. The money was instead spent on gambling and trips to Barcelona and Rome, the court heard. 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. [24][25][26], The Winnipeg Free Press reported that Kirilow received a conditional sentence, no jail time. In addition to the funds she solicited, she accepted a vacation at Disneyworld from a charity that sponsored visits to the resort from those who were at risk of dying. The judge complied, repeatedly putting off the date that Chavez would have to report to prison to begin serving her sentence on an embezzlement conspiracy charge. "The fundraiser is now removed, and is no longer visible to anyone on Facebook, including the person who created it. Both the Toronto Sun and The Hamilton Spectator speculated that Kirilow's last conviction was a sign that underlying mental health issues were not being addressed.[29][30]. [23] Kirilow's father explained that he had considered posting her bail, but decided that she had lied too many times. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 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 . Judge Mark Weekes slapped the fraudster with a prison sentence of two years and nine months, telling her that her actions were pure wild fantasy and a deliberate deceit.I do not wish to keep you in the agony of waiting for any longer than I need to, and so I must tell you immediately that the sentence of imprisonment that I will be imposing shortly is one that will result in your immediate imprisonment, he told Elkabbas, whose own mother died of cancer last year. An Ohio mother is facing an abuse and neglect complaint for allegedly fabricating her daughter's terminal illness to "obtain funding for trips, housing, and other expenses of the last several . Dr. Nicholas Morris, a gynecologist and former friend, also stumbled on the fake GoFundMe page, where Elkabbas claimed to be in a Spanish hospital. On July 31, Robert Smith went to the police station to file a report alleging fraud by his wife, accusing her of obtaining funds from the GoFundMe and Facebook campaigns and depositing them into her bank account. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Joann Wood was sentenced to three years in prison at Leicester Crown Court on . She claimed a costly "breakthrough drug" could improve her chances, and included an image of her lying in a hospital bed. 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". The Score | Week 9 high school basketball games, stats and scores from the Quad Cities, Thousands pack Wharton Field House to watch Moline punch their ticket to the Elite Eight, Spring-like temperatures and a few rain chances.