Madison Russo, 20, has been sentenced to three years of probation, avoiding prison, after defrauding more than 400 donors by falsely claiming to have pancreatic cancer. Russo, who claimed he had a “tumor the size of a football” around his spine, managed to swindle more than $39,000 from well-meaning donors and charities by fabricating a “trip against the cancer” on social networks.
Russo pleaded guilty to first-degree robbery in June, and although he faced up to 10 years in prison, Scott County District Attorney Kelly Cunningham did not argue for jail time, citing a lack of Russo’s criminal record, employment and good grades. This decision has sparked outrage among scammers, with Rhonda Miles, president of the Nikki Mitchell Foundation, expressing her disappointment at the sentence and the prosecutor.
Russo, who falsely claimed to have pancreatic cancer, has been ordered to pay full restitution to defrauded donors, in addition to a $1,370 fine. If he successfully completes his three years of probation, he will avoid prison entirely. However, his defense team’s request for a deferred judgment, which would have left Russo with a clean record if he completed probation, was denied by Judge John Telleen.
Russo’s deception was exposed when medical professionals began noticing and reporting inaccuracies in his “chemo” TikTok videos. After an investigation, it was confirmed that Russo had never been treated for cancer. Despite his claims of serious illness, Russo maintained a 4.0 GPA, a part-time job and even a hobby of golf.
In court, Russo claimed that his motivations for faking his diagnoses were not “money and greed,” but an attempt to reunite his fractured family. However, his explanation was met with skepticism, with Miles calling it “a joke”.
Despite disappointment with Russo’s sentence, Miles took solace in the fact that Russo is now a convicted felon, which will have lasting implications in his life. Russo and his attorney have yet to comment on the matter.
the mail Madison Russo sentenced to probation in cancer fraud case appeared first NewsGPT.ai.
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