You don't give kids enough credit.

This is not a kid, this is a shrewd 17 year old who pulled scam on her entire community. She should definitely serve prison time for this theft. Scams like this hurt legitimate charitable efforts to help people who are really sick. In addition to the prison time, she should be sentence to at least 2000 hours of community service supporting kids who really do have leukemia. Maybe then she will realize the harm she has done through her scam. I had a friend in college who died from leukemia and this is not a pleasant way to go.

You don't give kids enough credit.

Sure I do which is why I question it. The part that would be comical if this wasn't so dreadful and revolting was the sentence that I quoted from the story.

What the hell are people thinking about when they pull stunts like this???

js in sd,I'm very sorry about your friend. My sister died of leukemia. It is not an easy way to die. I was the bone marrow donor. Not once, but twice. These kind of scams are so mean, heartless and gross.

Yep, not one person in her FAMILY knew what was going on with the fundraising, and the police cannot find the MONEY ?

Hey MOM, check your daughters room. Now where in the world did she get that new lap top, that new wardrobe, that new cellphone, that new make up kit,....etc. ?

My sympathies to both of you. I do not have anyone close to me to that has been stricken with this horrible disease but I have seen some of what patients go through at my job. It really makes me wonder if these awful people had some clue about what they were doing and who they were affecting, would they have still orchestrated this terrible fraud???

Ido, check it again. "Mom" is claiming that she was unaware of the extent of the fund raising which indicates that she was fully aware of the scam and had to have been in on it.

YES..THATS WHAT I WAS THINKING BY ("Mom" is claiming that she was unaware of the extent of the fund raising) my stepfather had cancer and just died last week..things like this are very sickening!!!

I know I'll catch flak for saying it but it seems like it's mostly women faking cancer for money. At least I haven't seen any yet that were men faking it. Not saying they haven't, I just haven't really seen it in the news. I swear that just the other week some lady got in trouble for faking cancer so she could pay for her dream wedding. If I remember right her husband turned her in after she told him about it.

Her mom knew what was going on with her crazy daughter and had to have known the full extent and have helped her daughter spend the money. Way to go mom, that's "teaching" your little brat!!

There's a special place in hell for people like Angie Gomez.

Yeah your going to tell me they had fundraising in the community and the Mom knew nothing. Bullcrap or just an absent mom

What the hell are people thinking about when they pull stunts like this???

They never think before acting stupid bud.

It is funny how often people pull scams that they think are original to themselves. They never seem to work out that people may figure they are being taken after a while.

At age 17 she'll likely be charged as a juvenile. Teenagers aren't in their right minds. Their cerebral cortex isn't fully developed at that age. That's why they do so many stupid things.

Edit: In this article she's 19. Which article is accurate? :-/

Allison, you're making a leap. The trial will bring out the facts in the case. Why are you so angry, did you contribute to the 'charity'?

The mother was unaware of the EXTENT of the fundraising.....so really, she knew of it but not how far it went? This kid should be made to work to pay off every cent that was given to her in good faith, then be made to write an apology letter by hand (no typing) to all involved. Absolutely shameful for her to receive profit off the kindness and charity of others in such a way, it makes everyone suspicious the next time they pull out money for a good cause, one that is actually legit. If the mother was in on it she should be made to do the same. What disgusting people.

Peridot~ Their cerebral cortex may not be fully formed til about 21, that doesn't mean they don't know the difference between right and wrong. Those are teachings that should have been implemented and understood at a younger age. I don't buy into that excuse when it is used EVERY time a kid does something stupid. There is a difference between stupid actions like hitting a mailbox with a baseball bat, or underage drinking at a party and fraud or murder.

Why hasn't anyone paid any attention to how it says this girl weighed "65 pounds"....How can a 19 year old girl weigh 65 pounds and be alive? If its true (I don't know how) that she's only 65 pounds, then she is sick... Not with cancer of course, but it is absolutely not healthy to weigh so little ..

LCOS~ Are you factoring in that she was only 4ft 7in tall? She was itty bitty, while 65 pounds may seem too low, the fact that she was small plays a factor into her weight.

I agree JS, the first time I ever heard of someone scamming because they claimed to have cancer it had never entered my mind before that someone could do something like that. It damages all cancer charities especially ones for individuals. It really hurts the trust of the public, if people can lie about something so horrible what else can they lie about.

KARMA is a bitch.....

Karma....maybe....lets hope something happens to a loved one of hers and she has to suffer the results.

Karma....maybe....lets hope something happens to a loved one of hers and she has to suffer the results

Areyoubuyingthis..... Now your dumb statement shows that you are as bad or worse than she is. You are wishing harm on someone that may be innocent. Even though what she did is wrong in so many ways along with being twisted, I would not even wish cancer upon her. Now cancer for a pedophile yeah maybe...for sure. Don't say I don't know what it is like as I lost my Mom to cancer when I was about her age along with losing my Dad to cancer also a couple months before my wedding. Both of their deaths were horrific plainly due to their suffering which there are not to many people if any that I would wish that upon. Remember that word you used...You know your first one

And just so my post is read correctly, your comment on your hope someone "she loves" has to suffer just so she does comes from a heartless person. So if you did something wrong then maybe someone in your family should get cancer so you suffer... just plain stupid. You better keep an eye over your shoulder as Karma maybe creeping up on you. creep

Well, fishman, it appears that you are just as bad as AreYouBuyingThis?, considering the fact that you just wished cancer on pedophiles. People in glass houses...

Well, fishman, it appears that you are just as bad as AreYouBuyingThis?, considering the fact that you just wished cancer on pedophiles. People in glass houses...

So do you have a problem reading? So if I just wished a pedophile, someone that destroys a whole death or cancer than that is wrong. Also like said, can you not read? "Now cancer for a pedophile yeah maybe" Do you not understand "maybe". I also never said I wished or hoped for it, would they deserve it?? Maybe. Now if one got it then I may not feel real bad for that less than animal. So don't try putting words in my mouth, I never said I wished it anyone. I know are you the type that thinks pedophiles are just misunderstood because you sure have a hard time understanding.

"considering the fact" you have trouble reasoning, reading and put worlds in peoples mouths, I will give you a pass

Like crying wolf ....

Someday when the wolf does show up what do you do?

Give him a nice bowl of kibble.

WOW! The scammers are getting younger by the minute. I'm not sure about mom, but if she had a hand in this, regardless of how small it may be, then SHAME ON HER. If that be the case and she is sentenced, then she needs to suffer the full brunt of what the law prescribes for such a crime. The teen needs to have some SERIOUS discipline, hopefully in the way of doing LOTS OF COMMUNITY SERVICE, perhaps in a facility that deals with cancer patients, or otherwise terminally ill patients. This teen needs a very strong consequence for her actions.

In turn, the mother needs to make regular payments to the CANCER SOCIETY, until all that was donated for her daughters supposed cancer, is actually paid in full to the organization it would have rightfully been donated to, since said monies were given specifically for that reason.

Sad part is Reni she's not the youngest scammer in the world. Still have more to come. To yell that death is nearing your soul then everyone to find out that she's not branded by his mark strikes her with a fate worse then death.

Can't disagree with that ....

Simple and to the point!

You get my vote for best post of the day.

Brother, you're in my Prayers.

May God have mercy and deliver a treatment of which will put your cancer into remission. Seeing this article has disgusted not only myself but hundreds of other people as well. If I recall correctly, there was another scam just recently also preying on the generosity, and compassion of their perspective communities something along the same lines but this woman did it for an elaborate wedding, a astonishing honeymoon, in addition to the cash money, that was given to her and her husband. Only upon finding out exactly how it was all paid for, the husband divorced the woman, and turned her in. But this young woman's mother making the comment of she wasn't aware of the extent of the fundraisers. The young woman needed her mother to open bank accounts, needed her mother to form a non-profit corp. there is no way in hell that this young woman's mother was that oblivious! And because her daughter is still a minor she will be let off with a relatively mild sentence and under mommy's supervision, especially if she has no prior criminal background. Though this young woman deserves little to no mercy with the fullest extent of the law, but the mother also should be held accountable if indeed she started the non-profit, if she opened bank accounts with the intent of accepting money under fraudulent pretenses, wire fraud, and what ever else that can be thrown at both of these very sad, selfish, and disgustingly deceptive women.

Great post but I will disagree with a couple of things. The perp is 19. I'm not aware of what the laws are in Texas but in many states 18 is an adult. The "mother" was obviously in on this scam regardless. If said child was younger, she should be taken out of such a home but since she is 19, this will not happen. On a happier note, maybe they can share cells together after coming back from community service work. A hospital laundry might be a good place to start. Hard work and sometimes dangerous, from what I've heard. Don't think that I would trust this pair around patients.

This is a very sick story. There has to be something VERY wrong with this girl to pull something as unconscionable as this. The fact that she is 19 but the size of a 9 year old (4,7 and only 65 lbs.) might have something to do with her mental state.

Exactly what I was thinking! Even at 4' 7" 65lbs. is starvation weight! Wonder if she wasn't eligble for social security due to her small stature, dwarfismn? In high school at 19?? Either she had been held back for some reason, missed time due to illness? or was in special education courses where students can remain in school until age 20. Though this kind of scam really doesn't indicate she was learning disabled! Must have been pretty personable to get so many to help her out. Don't see how mom could claim she wasn't aware of the extent of her daughters criminal conduct. Where the heck did she think the money was coming from?? The cash wasn't in the bank so one would think it's been spent? A poster said mom might not have understood english? Due to the last name, assuming she was hispanic, speaking spanish only or very little english?? Possible!?!?!

Both these women need to be punished severely. Jail 1st then lots of community service. One poster said 2000 hrs. That would be a good start!!!

Then deport them. They dont belong here anyhow.

And the award for most insightful and intelligent comment goes to............Georgeanna Modlin.....

Did you read the article? It was a 19 year old woman that did this.

And you know her ancestors are Mexican and not, say, Spanish or German? Right...you don't.

Anorexia/bulimia?

Maybe they donated the money to church? Maybe they bought meals for the homeless? Or maybe they were just greedy and immoral, and could not care less what the requirements of civilized behavior are, totally lacking any compassion for their fellow humans, and well on the way to becoming career criminals? I think we know the correct answer, and blaming their actions on society in general is the biggest cop-out you can come up with.

tron-But you don't gotta do that!!!

Excuse me, but I must have missed the part of the article that stated this girl was in the country illegally and was receiving Medicaid and free housing. If that was the case, one would think those facts would have been mentioned.

My college roomate had the last name Gomez. Her grandparents immigrated legally from the Phillipines about the same time my father and his family came over (legally) from Sweden. We used to joke because her ancestors, being well-to-do, came over on a cruise ship, while mine, being dirt-poor, came over in steerage. Both fanilies were law-abiding and hard-working, and neither took a penny of government money except for their rightfully-earned Social Security. Both my friend and I worked our way through school, and both of us graduated with high honors.

Judge this awful young woman by her crimes, certainly--she's a liar and a thief, in the worst possible way, and will no doubt be found guilty and punished. What you might want to think twice about doing, however, is pre-judging every person you decide doesn't look or sound "American" enough for your tastes.