Probation For Woman Who Faked Cancer
Posted on Monday, 9 of November , 2009 at 6:53 pm
GLENS FALLS—A Glens Falls woman has admitted defrauding donors who contributed thousands of dollars to her for medical expenses related to her fictitious battle against kidney cancer.
Melanie Brown, 30, of First St., pleaded guilty Monday in Warren County Court to an 11-count indictment of nine felonies and two misdemeanors.
Brown will avoid incarceration for the moment under a deal cut with Judge John S. Hall. She has been placed on interim probation for a year during which she must make $15,000 in restitution. Sentencing was set for Oct. 27, 2010, and if she makes restitution and complies with the other probation conditions, it’s likely she will be sentenced to five years of probation. If not, could face up to seven years in state prison.
The total amount of restitution has yet to be determined and could be as much as $70,000.
Brown had nixed a plea deal offered by the Warren County District Attorney’s office that would have required her to serve a six year prison term in exchange for her guilty plea.
She was represented by attorney Michael Mercure.
When initially arrested last December, Brown, who admitted in court that she had fabricated her illness, had been charged with third degree grand larceny and first degree scheme to defraud. Glens Falls Police had said the charges are in connection with $10,000 raised during 2008 for her benefit to help pay for her alleged medical bills.
Rather than filing a grand larceny count against Brown, the grand jury indicted her on felony criminal possession of stolen property, scheme to defraud and misdemeanor counts of criminal possession of stolen property for allegedly receiving stolen funds between January 2005 and late 2008.
Brown has claimed to have cancer for the past seven years, Police began an investigation after receiving a tip from someone who believed that Brown was falsely claiming that she had cancer. After contacting doctors whom she said were treating her, police learned that one doctor said he’d never heard of her and another said she did not have cancer. 11-09-09
TO ALL READERS. First time visitors are welcome at no charge. Thereafter, readers who wish to read additional articles or plan on returning at a later time will need to be an advertiser or have a paid subscription to the NCG Daily Digest in order to gain access. This policy will be strictly enforced and access will be denied to those who abuse it. To sign up, see the subscription ad and PayPal button to the right of this page or at www.northcountrygazette.org If you have questions, contact us at news@northcountrygazette.org
TIME RUNNING OUT. Special subscription rate through Nov. 11, 2009. See http://www.northcountrygazette.org/2009/10/11/changes_coming/
Category: Consumers, Courts, Crime, Health, Warren County
- Add this post to
- Del.icio.us -
- Meneame -
- Digg
COPYRIGHT 2009 - NORTH COUNTRY GAZETTE All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the express written permission of the publisher.
