An Iowa woman who falsely claimed to be battling cancer and collected funds through various social media platforms has avoided imprisonment after a judge sentenced her to probation and a suspended sentence.
Madison Russo, 20, fabricated a story about having pancreatic cancer, leukemia, and a large tumor wrapped around her spine, which she shared on TikTok, GoFundMe, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Despite never having these conditions, she received donations from over 400 individuals. As part of her sentence, handed down on Friday, she was ordered to pay $39,000 in restitution and a $1,370 fine. If she maintains a clean record during her three-year probation period, she will remain free.
Russo, a resident of Bettendorf, pleaded guilty to first-degree theft in June. During her court appearance on Friday, Judge John Telleen declined a defense request to expunge her conviction upon the successful completion of probation. He emphasized the importance of people being aware of her involvement in a “criminal scheme,” stating that serious crimes must have serious consequences.
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“In this scheme, you deceived your friends, family, community, fellow cancer sufferers, charitable organizations, and strangers who were moved by your supposedly tragic story to donate and support you,” the judge remarked.
Russo confessed in court that she fabricated her story in an attempt to redirect her family’s attention amid their troubles. She clarified that her actions were not motivated by financial gain or attention but were driven by a desire to reunite her fragmented family.
In addition to the suspended sentence, Russo was assigned 100 hours of community service. She had already repaid the $39,000 restitution, held by the court. GoFundMe has refunded the donations to the contributors.
Medical professionals discovered inconsistencies in Russo’s online narrative, leading to the scrutiny of her claims. Subsequently, her medical records were subpoenaed, revealing that she had never received a cancer diagnosis from any local medical facility. She was arrested in January.
Scott County prosecutor Kelly Cunningham argued against imprisonment, citing Russo’s clean record, good academic performance in college, employment, and the low probability of reoffending. However, this stance was met with criticism from Rhonda Miles, who heads a pancreatic cancer foundation in Nashville, Tennessee, which had donated to Russo and testified during the hearing.
“It was devastating to sit there and watch the Scott County prosecuting attorney act like a defending attorney, so that was tough,” Miles expressed. “And I think she’ll have a lot of questions to answer from the locals on that at some point. Why were you defending this girl when you were supposed to be prosecuting?”
In court, Russo tearfully apologized to the judge and her victims, expressing deep remorse for her actions. She acknowledged the gravity of her offense and wished she had sought assistance regarding her family situation.
“I fully acknowledge what I did was wrong. And I’m incredibly sorry,” she said through sobs. “If there was anything I could do to take it back, I would. The reality is I can’t.”
