A 20-year-old Iowa lady pretended to have varied types of most cancers in a scheme to get extra consideration from her household.
Regardless of beginning a GoFundMe marketing campaign, the place she feigned terminal sickness and garnered practically $40,000, largely from folks on social media, she maintains now that none of this was for cash.
Now a decide is mandating she give the cash again.
Madison Russo, who was on the time an 18-year-old freshman at St. Ambrose College, advised folks on TikTok, GoFundMe, Fb and LinkedIn that she had pancreatic most cancers, leukemia, and a football-sized tumor round her backbone, documenting her “battle” with the dreaded illnesses on her social media platforms. Nonetheless, this was later found to be a lie.
The ploy was uncovered after 439 folks, largely strangers and most cancers charities, poured in hundreds of {dollars} in donations.
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In accordance with the Eldridge Police Division, a number of witnesses with “medical expertise” seen “medical discrepancies” in Russo’s social media, like she was utilizing the flawed form of gear for the most cancers she mentioned she had.
They then contacted detectives to analyze her declare. Russo’s medical information had been then subpoenaed, they usually confirmed she had “by no means been recognized with any form of most cancers or tumor from any medical services inside the Quad Cities or surrounding cities.”
After being discovered, the Bettendorf resident pleaded responsible in June 2023 to first-degree theft.
On Friday, Oct. 20, at a sentencing listening to on the Scott County Courthouse, Choose John Telleen gave Russo a 10-year suspended sentence, 100 hours of group service, and a high-quality of $1,370. She was additionally ordered to pay $39,000 in restitution. With a suspended sentence, Russo won’t serve time in jail so long as she meets the situations set by the decide.
Her protection attorneys pushed to have her obtain a deferred judgment, which might clear her report if she accomplished probation efficiently, however Telleen wouldn’t budge. He mentioned it is vital for folks to know she is a felon, that individuals ought to know that she was part of a “prison scheme,” and that she should face the “severe penalties” of her crime.
“By way of this scheme, you deceived your folks, your loved ones, your group, different most cancers victims, charities, and strangers who had been motivated by your supposedly tragic story to donate to assist help you,” the decide mentioned, in response to CBS Information.
Some individuals who donated mentioned in court docket they felt betrayed by her and the prosecutors for giving her such a light-weight plea deal.
“It was devastating to take a seat there and watch,” Rhonda Miles, an administrator at a most cancers basis in Nashville mentioned, earlier than pointing on the prosecutors and asking, “Why had been you defending this lady while you had been speculated to be prosecuting?”
Others took to social media, suggesting she ought to have acquired a more durable sentence.
“So if she “refunds” all the cash she stole, she is left with a $1,000 high-quality… acquired off fairly darned straightforward,” one particular person tweeted.
So if she “refunds” all the cash she stole, she is left with a $1000 high-quality… acquired off fairly darned straightforward.
— greg scragg (@gregscragg) October 22, 2023
Russo mentioned in court docket the lie was by no means in regards to the cash. She masqueraded in a pretend wig, doctored up photos and bought medical gear as a result of she wished to get her household again collectively.
“Lots of people have made hypothesis as to why I did this and the way anyone who appeared like that they had all the things collectively may have such a multitude. I didn’t do that for cash or greed. I didn’t do that for consideration. I did this as an try and get my household again collectively,” she mentioned.
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The restitution has already been paid, and the crowdfunding platform refunded the deceived donors.
GoFundMe launched an announcement concerning Russo’s actions.
“GoFundMe has a zero-tolerance coverage for misuse of our platform and cooperates with legislation enforcement investigations of these accused of wrongdoing,” the corporate mentioned.
Learn the unique story right here.
