A woman from northern California was sentenced to five years in prison this week after pleading guilty to one count of wire fraud for faking her cancer diagnosis and then soliciting people online for donations to pay for her (non-existent) treatment. Amanda Christine Riley, a 36-year-old woman from San Jose, pleaded guilty to the count in federal court back in October of 2021, two years after the federal government first brought a case against her on the matter.
The legal battle wrapped up on Tuesday afternoon when Riley was sentenced on the wire fraud charge, accepting a five-year prison term following her plea. Related: Robin Roberts Gets Emotional Sharing Updates On Girlfriend’s Cancer Battle According to prosecutors, Riley’s fake cancer scheme began back in 2012 when she was living in San Jose.
The former school principal apparently began posting to social media at the time, creating a blog about her supposed cancer diagnosis and using Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to spread awareness of her (fake) condition.
Claiming she was battling Hodgkin’s lymphoma, the now-36-year-old reportedly raised exactly $105,513 from concerned supporters via online fundraisers.
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