Five years after a "cancer scare" that proved to be groundless, 38-year old Keele Maynor has been arrested for fraud relating to the financial and social aid resulting from her pretending to be terminally ill with breast cancer. A Chattanooga grand jury has laid eight counts of theft and one count of forgery against the Tennessee woman and she may be facing a lengthy prison sentence.
In addition to receiving over $18,000 in paid leave and financial support from co-workers, Maynor also received extensive support from the cancer survivor community in Chattanooga before being exposed in December of last year. During the last five years, she walked with a cane, kept her hair closely cropped, and pleaded with friends and family members for financial support. As a single mother with three dependent children, she received considerable assistance and media attention.
Describing her "charade", Maynor reported that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer in 2000 although subsequent testing showed her to be cancer-free. Her elaborate deception only unraveled after a local hospital contacted other charities with which she had been involved warning them about inconsistencies in her story. She has yet to provide a reason for her actions although she is receiving counseling at present.
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