Cancer fraudster pleads guilty
Calgary woman Jennifer Halford pleaded guilty Tuesday to several fraud charges in connection with her faking cancer.
She pleaded guilty to seven counts of fraud involving 10 separate victims.
She was initially charged with seven counts of fraud under $5,000 in May.
Four more charges were added last month.
Crown prosecutor Jason Wuttunee told court Halford posed as both cancer victim and evacuee from the Fort McMurray wildfires to defraud individuals out of meals, cash, gift cards, services and other goods.
Two of her victims were cancer survivors themselves, Wuttunee told provincial court Judge Anne Brown.
Reading from a statement of agreed facts, Wuttunee said Halford bilked people by telling them she had cancer, or by using a false persona.
She was arrested on May 26, and gave a statement to police, he said.
“During the interview Halford admitted to having the identities of Megan Fonta and Jennifer Halford,” the prosecutor said.
“She further admitted to not having cancer and was not from Fort McMurray, had never been diagnosed and that she told people this in order to obtain goods,” Wuttunee said.
“She admitted using the cancer and Fort McMurray stories to obtain clothing, gas gift cards, food gift cards and services for free.
“Halford also stated she didn’t mean to do it and that it ‘just tailspinned,’” he said.
“Throughout the interview Halford was reluctant to disclose her involvement, but did so when challenged and at the conclusion stated that she was very sorry and glad police found out.”
Outside court, defence counsel Michelle Parhar said her client was willing to admit her guilt in the case.
She said Halford, who often cried in the prisoner’s box as Wuttunee read the facts, was overwhelmed by her prosecution.
“She has never had any experience with the court system,” she said.
Last month Parhar said her client was the victim of an anonymous death threat.
“She’s been very scared, she has a family she’s very close to,” Parhar said.
“She received a note that said ‘die b---- die,’ in capital letters at her home,” Parhar said.
“It obviously disturbed her very much that not only did people know her address, but saw fit to threaten her life,” the lawyer said.
The incident wasn’t reported to Calgary police, Parhar said.
“She’s very withdrawn from having any wish to see any of this go further than it already has,” the lawyer said of Halford’s reluctance to get police involved.
Halford had a five-year-old daughter who died in January 2011 of Mitochondrial disease.
She remains free on bail pending an April 4 sentencing hearing.