An Ohio woman who claimed to have aggressive cancer, and other diseases, has been exposed as a fraud.
According to The New York Daily News, Mindy Taylor, a 35-year-old wife and mother, deceived not only the public, but her own family with claims that she was incredibly ill. Under the guise of having lupus, heart disease, and cancer of the small intestine, she raised an obscene amount of money to fund her private life.
On various websites, Taylor spoke of her journey and how difficult chemotherapy was. She reportedly raised over $40,000 through donations and fundraisers, established by herself and her mother.
However, after months of living a lie, an anonymous source tipped authorities off to Taylor’s scheme and her medical records were subpoenaed and revealed her to cancer-free.
According to Syracuse.com, Taylor’s medical records revealed she had been diagnosed with lupus and had a stroke at one point in the past, but she has never had cancer.
After she was arrested, Taylor applied for a diversion, which will drop the changes against her if she repays the money donated to her and admits to what she did.
"Ok, I did this. I'll take the onus for whatever they want me to do. I'll do it. I'm not a bad person. I've never even served detention. I want to go back to being a law abiding citizen. I do want to clear my name. If I fight this in court, I lose big. I don't want to lose my daughter. If I can take the easy way out I will, so I can spare my family any more embarrassment,” Taylor said, according to 10TV.
Taylor has stated that she already began paying people back, but there is no record of this.
Taylor has been charged with grand theft, a felony.