Townsville Bulletin

HOOK OR BY CROOK

FRAUD ACCUSED ON FRESH CHARGES

- MADURA MCCORMACK

A WOMAN accused of ‘faking cancer’ and defrauding the Townsville community of thousands of dollars, is also accused of defrauding her Defence boyfriend and local sporting clubs, it can be revealed.

Lucy Wieland, 28, was charged with fraud in 2018 after publicly blogging about a battle with terminal ovarian cancer and raising $55,000 on Gofundme.

The Bulletin can reveal Townsville police have now laid new charges against Wieland, who has fled the region south to a coastal town near Gladstone.

Court documents show three additional counts of fraud, two of forgery and one of unlawful possession of drugs.

A WOMAN who allegedly faked cancer to raise thousands in a fundraisin­g scam has been hit with additional charges, including for defrauding her ex-boyfriend and for trying to pass off antibiotic­s as infertilit­y medication.

Lucy Victoria Wieland, 28, formerly of Townsville, was initially charged with fraud in 2018 after documentin­g her battle with terminal ovarian cancer that she allegedly never had, raising $55,000 on Gofundme.

Townsville Police, in new allegation­s, have slapped Wieland with a further six charges.

Court documents seen by the Townsville Bulletin reveal Wieland has been accused of three additional counts of fraud, two of forgery and one of unlawful possession of drugs.

Police will allege Wieland defrauded her ex-boyfriend, Bradley James Congerton, between the end of May and mid-october 2018, and that she also dishonestl­y obtained money from the Baseball Associatio­n of Townsville.

Mr Congerton, who is in the Australian Defence Force, became her full-time carer as a result of her alleged illness.

The Townsville Bulletin in November 2018 reported that he had cut all ties with her after Wieland was initially charged. How much the alleged fraud of Mr Congerton or the sporting club was worth has not been outlined. .

Wieland is also charged with defrauding Townsville barber Kristopher Alan Keefe-Jackson in September 2018.

Mr Keefe-jackson said he was “completely stunned” when the allegation­s against Wieland surfaced.

He said the number of people Wieland is accused of fooling was “ridiculous” but he was fortunate to have lost just under a $1000 and not more.

Police have also charged Wieland with forging a doctor’s letter between August and November 2018 and uttering that forged document.

It is understood police, during a search, also found pills labelled “Letrozole”, a drug that has become popular to treat fertility issues in women though it is originally a breast cancer treatment.

However, police will allege the pills were in fact methenamin­e, an antibacter­ial used to treat recurrent urinary tract infections.

Wieland is currently out on bail, with court documents listing her address as Agnes

Water, a coastal town near Gladstone.

She is due to appear in Townsville

Magistrate­s Court on January 22.

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 ??  ?? COURT DATE: Lucy Wieland faces more charges.
COURT DATE: Lucy Wieland faces more charges.

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