CANCER SCAM
Cops: Woman dupes grieving friends out of nearly $15,000
MOUNT HOLLY — A Delran woman was arrested today for allegedly soliciting and accepting charitable contributions while falsely claiming to be undergoing treatment for cancer, authorities said.
Lori E. Stilley, 40, of Suburban Boulevard in Delran, surrendered with her lawyer at the Delran police station and was charged with theft by deception and released on $25,000 bail.
The investigation revealed that in February 2011 Stilley told those close to her that she had been diagnosed with Stage III bladder cancer and would be undergoing radiation and chemotherapy treatment.
Stilley also posted this information on Facebook and her personal website. In April 2011, Stilley indicated the bladder cancer had become Stage IV.
She told relatives and friends that she did not have healthcare insurance, and several initiatives began to raise money for her treatment and medical expenses. The investigation revealed that Stilley had never been treated for or even diagnosed with cancer.
Relatives and friends organized a t-shirt sale and held a fundraising banquet in July 2011 that raised more than $8,400. Another fundraiser and cash raffle in the summer of 2011 raised an additional $1,000.
In addition, Stilley authored an e-book that discussed her daily struggle to cope with cancer. It was posted for sale in October 2011 on Stilley’s personal website at a cost of $14.99 and generated more than $3,000 in proceeds.
When Stilley indicated she wanted to marry her boyfriend before she died, her friends and family planned the wedding and the marriage took place nine days later. Friends and family members negotiated the cost of the wedding hall down to $500 and covered the cost themselves.
Stilley also received donations of gift cards totaling more than $1,600.
The gifts Stilley received were not just financial. A friend created a meal calendar that was posted on Stilley’s website that enabled people to prepare and deliver meals for Stilley. Dates were scheduled months in advance by people who committed to make and drop off dinners.
In November 2011, as Stilley was preparing to receive what supporters thought was necessary hospice care, she posted a message on her Facebook page that indicated she was feeling better and believed that a miracle was coming. As a result, she postponed the hospice care. It was at that point that her supporters became suspicious.
“Cancer causes so much pain and hardship for those who are suffering through it, as well as for family members and friends,” Prosecutor Robert D. Bernardi said.
“For this defendant to represent that she was dying from this terrible disease for the sake of personal gain and sympathy goes way beyond simply being a criminal offense; it was extremely cruel to those who were concerned and worked hard to lend assistance.”
The case will be presented to a Burlington County Grand Jury for indictment. The investigation was conducted by detectives from the Delran Township Police Department and the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office Financial Crimes Unit.
Scams involving cancer are on the rise. Wednesday, Jamie Lynn Toler, 27, of Phoenix, was sentenced to a year in prison and three years probation for lying about having cancer and raising $8,000 she intended to use to buybreast implants.