Woman charged with faking cancer, receiving donations
Published 5:44 pm Monday, December 23, 2019
A Northwood woman was arrested Friday who authorities say falsely claimed she was diagnosed with cancer — and received multiple donations because of it.
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Jennifer Mikesell
Jennifer Hope Mikesell was arrested on charges of ongoing criminal conduct, second-degree theft, fraudulent practices and four counts of forgery.
According to the Worth County Sheriff’s Office, Mikesell claimed she was diagnosed with cancer and was receiving cancer treatments at Mayo Clinic Health System in Rochester, which was found to be untrue.
She had received multiple donations of money, food and other supplies and had also received a bedroom makeover from My Happy Haven, a nonprofit organization that renovates bedrooms of women with cancer, in October.
The investigation is ongoing, and there may be further charges, a press release stated.
The Iowa DCI, Albert Lea Police Department, Osage Police Department and the Broward County Sheriff’s Office in Broward County, Florida, assisted.