A Long Island, New York woman is facing criminal charges this week after telling friends and family members she had cancer, accepting cash donations for treatment and then spending it on heroin.
Brittany Ozarowski, a 21-year-old resident of Medford, used social networking sites to spread the word about her false ailments, inspiring loved ones to donate over six figures, reports the New York Post.
Ozarowski claimed to have been diagnosed with lymphoma that had spread into her bones and brain and claimed she needed the money for therapies including chemotherapy and radiation. According to the post, her grandmother sold her house to donate $100,000 and her father emptied a retirement account worth $20,000.
Suffolk DA Thomas Spota spoke with the post on the case, confirming that Ozarowski is now facing larceny charges:
"This defendant perpetrated an absolutely despicable scam," said Spota. "There was no cancer, no chemotherapy, no radiation, and no medical bills. There was just heroin."
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