Ohio Woman’s Cancer Fundraising Scheme Exposed
- 10 years ago
Through her online diary, Mindy Taylor of Ohio found many supporters to help her through her battle with cancer. The problem is that she doesn’t really have the disease.
Through her online diary, Mindy Taylor of Ohio found many supporters – both financial and emotional – to help her through her battle with cancer.
In it, she chronicled the bad days, the chemo, and the complications she faced because of her heart disease, lupus, and multiple strokes.
People held fundraising events, sent individual donations, and a local paper put her and her struggle on the front page.
The problem is that she doesn’t really have cancer.
It was the news article that ended up being her undoing, as after it ran police got a call advising that they look into her story.
They followed up by issuing a subpoena for Taylor’s medical records and found that the anonymous caller was right. The woman wasn’t battling the disease.
"Prosecutor says he looked at Taylor's medical records and says there was never a diagnosis of cancer. He says her medical records are filled with assertions she has lupus - from her not her doctor." [WBNS]
Authorities classified the 21 thousand dollars she’d collected as felony theft, and now Taylor is making a plea for special sentencing.
Through her online diary, Mindy Taylor of Ohio found many supporters – both financial and emotional – to help her through her battle with cancer.
In it, she chronicled the bad days, the chemo, and the complications she faced because of her heart disease, lupus, and multiple strokes.
People held fundraising events, sent individual donations, and a local paper put her and her struggle on the front page.
The problem is that she doesn’t really have cancer.
It was the news article that ended up being her undoing, as after it ran police got a call advising that they look into her story.
They followed up by issuing a subpoena for Taylor’s medical records and found that the anonymous caller was right. The woman wasn’t battling the disease.
"Prosecutor says he looked at Taylor's medical records and says there was never a diagnosis of cancer. He says her medical records are filled with assertions she has lupus - from her not her doctor." [WBNS]
Authorities classified the 21 thousand dollars she’d collected as felony theft, and now Taylor is making a plea for special sentencing.