Former Rare Staff
An Illinois woman was sentenced to 18 months on prison on Monday after admitting to falsely claiming she and her son both had cancer in order to elicit donations from charitable individuals online.
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Melissa D. Barton pleaded guilty to two counts of felony theft by deception in October after being indicted in 2014 for soliciting funds from numerous donors for fraudulent cancer claims.
“The defendant in this case played on the emotions of donors and fraudulently collected funds that should have gone to community members that are actually impacted by cancer and other illnesses,” State’s Attorney Gibbons said. “I’d like to thank the officers with the Troy Police Department, whose investigative work on this case allowed us to come to a successful resolution.”
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Authorities began looking into the matter after a man with a medical background created a fundraising page online for Barton and her son. He reportedly became suspicious of some of the details and pictures provided by Barton, which were inconsistent with the cancer treatment she and her son were supposedly going through.
Police say Barton additionally asked for money from religious organizations, individuals and online donation sites. She attempted to defend herself by saying she “had a scare” and “kinda jumped to conclusions quickly.” She also claimed that she never personally asked for donations, but several videos online appear to contradict that claim.
In addition to jail time, Barton has also been ordered to pay nearly $1,300 in restitution.
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