Martha Nicholas, 42, Arrested After Allegedly Faking Cancer To Raise Money (VIDEO)

Martha Nicholas, a 42-year-old mother of two, said she was diagnosed with stage 4 ovarian cancer when she was in her twenties. Holding back tears, she told a group of supporters in July that "each night, I wonder if it will be the last," according to a report from WRIC-8.

But the Virginia woman didn't actually have cancer, police say, reports WTVR-6, and last Thursday, she was arrested on two charges of obtaining money by false pretenses.

"Our investigation revealed no evidence of any cancer treatment at any medical facility that had been publicly identified by Martha Nicholas during her many public appearances and testimonials," said Capt. Michael J. Trice of the Hanover County Sheriff's Office, according to the Mechanicsville Local. "Investigators also found evidence of individuals that had given money to Martha Nicholas due to her proclaimed medical condition."

According to WRIC-8, several fundraisers were held to supposedly help Nicholas pay for her treatment. In one interview from a Relay for Life event last summer, available below, she tells a WRIC-8 reporter that she has raised over $10,000 selling necklaces and orange "Cancer Sucks" t-shirts.

According to The Daily Mail, her two kids, who are 10 and 13, thought their mother had cancer.

"I refuse to believe it, because I think no one makes this up," one supporter who raised as much as $500 for Nicholas, said in a video from ABC News, available here.

But Nicholas' attorney, Sam Simpson, denies his client was swindling anyone.

"This was not a scam to rip people off," Simpson told ABC News. "There is an illness. It's a mental illness, and I can't say more about this."

Nicholas isn't the only person to have allegedly faked cancer for financial gain. In 2010, Ashley Kirilow, a Canadian woman, pleaded guilty to one count of fraud after she lied about having cancer to raise money, according to CBC News.

And earlier this year, another Canadian man was charged with 13 counts of fraud after he allegedly swindled as many as 40 people for nearly $900,000.

WATCH: Report From WRIC-8:

Comments

[Benioff]

01:03 AM on 01/05/2012

You people need to get some perspective. What this woman did was wrong and should be punished by doing community service at a cancer ward but wishing she got cancer is sickening.

If you really did know from personal experience how bad cancer is, then you would never wish that on anyone, not even this woman.

[Steve Sedlis]

02:07 PM on 01/09/2012

Amen.

[Bob Wyman]

08:07 AM on 12/20/2011

Just reading a few comments about this person and cannot believe how so full of venom and vindictiveness many of you are! I am certainly not defending the subject of this article but her behavior does have indicators of a mental illness. Munchausen is quite possible. I doubt many of the commentators understand mental illnesses but there are many people who suffer but show no outward symptoms at first or even second glance. Mental illness has been the forbidden illness for ages while as shown here cancer is practically embraced. This scam the woman played out does not seem very clever and is easily exposed. In her right mind? I doubt it. The other sickness I see here though without a doubt is pure hatred from many of you.
Have none of you heard the adage "There, but for the Grace of God go I"? Simply put, it could be you and someday it may be you. If so you better hope the jury has compassion. I am quite disgusted and hope I have shed some light in this darkness.

[West Coast Gal]

01:19 AM on 12/15/2011

Dear Reporter Stenovec: She is actually a mother of three (not two). The two younger kids, and a son in his early twenties.

[PhilB]

10:38 PM on 12/13/2011

A respectable, Sunday-School-teaching Christian supporter of George W Bush's 2004 primary, or just a plain right wing hypocrite?
At long last, I ask Republicans, have you no shame?
It is beyond me how the GOP can muster a single vote.
Unless, of course, scumbaggery has become an American value?

[mamman1]

07:36 PM on 12/13/2011

She has Münchausen syndrome. This is what I was told by a family friend. I felt so sorry for her so I am so stunned!

[ennui the third]

06:08 PM on 12/13/2011

A real lowlife...in fact, just when the bottom of the barrel hits real low, there is always a sub-basement....you'll find this one there....

[NINA B]

01:51 PM on 12/13/2011

Apparently this happens a lot. I was reading about a police dispatcher who initially faked cancer to get sympathy from her boyfriend but let it spiral out of control. Her friends at the station paid off her house, provided a dream vacation for her daughter, etc. I think a friend in her group actually did have cancer and friends started noticing the difference in their behavior, appearance, etc. Its really despicable. And if its a mental illness, its called GREEDY AND MANIPULATIVE.

[Anne Siperek]

11:53 AM on 12/13/2011

Oh, so now its a mental illness.... I see. The ole' "Bait and Switch" --

[TurnSeiki]

10:42 AM on 12/13/2011

What a con. Some people know no shame. As a religious person, I'd have NEVER done this for fear the Lord would make it a reality.

[asantewa3]

10:22 AM on 12/13/2011

It's bad enough to take money from kind strangers, but to make your children think that you're going to die is beyond despicable and should be considered child abuse.

[builder101]

08:02 PM on 12/12/2011

Wonder where you can get one the cool orange t-shirts?

[lunabear001]

10:13 PM on 12/12/2011

You can buy it from the LEGITIMATE organization here:

http://www­.cancersuc­ks.com/

In addition to all the things people described that she did, she also ripped of a phrase that has a trademark!

[builder101]

11:16 AM on 12/13/2011

Thanks!

[geddy lee is a god]

08:02 PM on 12/12/2011

The truly disgusting part about this whole incident is the way people genuinely supported this female (can't call her a woman), especially during these rough economic times. To see someone tug at people's heart strings and take, no STEAL, their donation money is mind-blowing.

Charities and fundraisers are already suffering from a decrease in donations, and need every dollar. This scam might deter people from donating, which effects the very people that charitable organizations help.

I'm not buying this mental illness nonsense. I hope she gets the book thrown at her, and another one should be thrown upside her head for good measure.

[geddy lee is a god]

10:19 PM on 12/12/2011

*affects*

[Steve Sedlis]

02:10 PM on 01/09/2012

Yet it makes one wonder how much of our legitimate donations actually go to research, and how much to 'administrative expenses'. Remember William Antimony? He was the guy former Chairman of the United Way who got caught skimming the till. Who is minding the store?

[geddy lee is a god]

04:24 PM on 01/09/2012

You have a point. Too many organizations are wayyyyy too top heavy. After the administrative expenses, there's little remaining for the people those orgs. are supposed to assist.

I don't want my charity dollars going towards new furniture for the CEO, or some made up "retreat" in the Carribean. I can understand the needs for funds for basic operational expenses, but the bulk of donations should go towards helping the disadvantaged populations (homeless, victims of natural disasters, DV, etc).

[mmrdaisley]

06:49 PM on 12/12/2011

Her attorney states that she has an 'ILLNESS" not cancer but an illness.I watched my grandmother slowly die of breast cancer , I have my sister who has thyroid cancer I would not wish this disease on my enemy , but with her I can make an exception .This was done all in the name of money and no one can convince me her husband was not in on this.In 20+ yrs as she "battled this disease" and won ,which hospital did she go to and stay in? she had ovarian cancer and she never left her home for any period of time for hospitals stays? Her children never visited her , it had to be free since he never paid any bills (please let us know we poor sick people would like to benefit from this free treatment) Her entire family never visited her at any of these institutions or question how she survived without agressive treatment after 4 bouts of cancer ? I would jail the entire bunch and let them spend the sentence at a hospice for cancer patients

[Robin-B]

11:53 PM on 12/12/2011

My sister has been scamming the people in her community [& nearby communities] for yrs., but in her case it's even worse, because she claims to need the money for her sick [&dying daughter], who isn't her daughter, but her step grandchild, and who already has insurance, and is not dying.

[Steve Sedlis]

02:11 PM on 01/09/2012

At what point did you call the police?

[Steve Garrison]

06:36 PM on 12/12/2011

Now she can have a fund raiser for her lawyers bill.

[USC]

06:31 PM on 12/12/2011

This is a type of psychotic that hasn't made its way into the books...yet! If I were the presiding judge during her trial I would sentence her to have a hysterectomy and a double mastectomy, and NO prosthetic breasts! So she can see what a REAL victim has to go through. I would also have her make restitution to a REAL victim and in lieu of prison time make her work at REAL victims homes as a housekeeper while wearing a surgically implanted tracking system. Of course the homes would have video surveillance installed using the money she raised as well. It's difficult for me NOT to hate a person such as this.

[cdavi214]

07:05 PM on 12/12/2011

I like the way you think. I don't know how anyone could stoop so low. What must her children think? I am a breast cancer survivor, Twice in 4 1/2 years, I know other survivors reading this will think the same way... and the families whose loved ones died Shame on Martha !!!