A Long Island woman with a heroin habit allegedly scammed an entire community — and her own family — into believing she had terminal cancer, then pocketed their sizable donations to pay for her addiction.
Brittany Ozarowski, 21, convinced her family, the hamlet of Medford, Long Island and several strangers on Facebook that she had brain, bone and a potpourri of other cancers, reports the New York Post. She placed collection jars with a picture of herself in a wheelchair in 25 Medford businesses, created a website, organized a fundraising dinner dance and even persuaded her grandmother to sell her house and contribute $100,000 to cover “chemotherapy” costs.
Ozarowski was arrested while passing out fliers in front of a supermarket after police grew suspicious and checked into her claims, according to the Post.
“This defendant perpetrated an absolutely despicable scam,” said Suffolk district attorney Thomas Spota. “There was no cancer, no chemotherapy, no radiation, and no medical bills. There was just heroin.”
The woman was charged with grand larceny on Monday.