An Ohio woman has been charged after she falsely claimed her 7-year-old daughter had cancer and raked in thousands of dollars in donations.
Pamela Reed, 41, of Pleasant City, was arrested Monday and charged with theft by deception, a fourth-degree felony, the Noble County Sheriff’s Office announced in a news release.
The sheriff’s office and the county’s Department of Job and Family Services were notified on Jan. 4. about a local child that had been falsely publicly portrayed to be fighting cancer.
The sheriff’s department and child services detectives investigated the claims and confirmed that the child did not have cancer.
“Several local organizations had participated in fundraising efforts and had made monetary contributions to help the family offset medical expenses,” police said. The investigation found one local organization had donated $8,000 to the family to aid with their alleged cancer treatment expenses.
On the Facebook page the family appeared to post and share updates on the child’s health — sharing photos of the child in the hospital and posting about a hog roast fundraiser in October.
Four days after the sheriff’s office was tipped off, Reed was interviewed by the sheriff’s office and she “admitted during questioning that she had exaggerated and fabricated medical conditions to receive monetary donations from local organizations.”
Her bond has been set at $50,000. It’s not immediately clear if she has a lawyer.
Sheriff Jason Mackie and Misty Wells, director of Department of Job and Family Services, said in a statement: “Child abuse and neglect isn’t always cut and dry, cookie cutter scenarios. If you as a professional or as a member of our community feel like something just isn’t quite right, don’t hesitate, make the report. The grit and devotion of this team is inspiring.”
This isn’t the first time a parent has faked a child’s illness and used well-intentioned donations to fund their own lifestyles.
Perhaps the most…
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