California woman, 37, who faked cancer is sentenced (2024)

A woman originally from California was sentenced to five years in prison on Tuesday after she pleaded guilty to soliciting more than $100,000 in donations to help pay for cancer treatments she neither needed nor received.

Amanda Christine Riley, who was then living in San Jose, is also ordered to pay restitution to those she scammed out of her money, and will be placed under supervision for three years following her release.

The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Californiahad argued in court documents that Riley, 37, started to claim online in 2012 that she had Hodgkin's lymphoma and tried to solicit donations to cover her so-called medical expenses.

She even created a social media presence on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter a blog documenting her battle with the cancer, and shaved her head to keep the rouse going, the Attorney's Office reports.

But the donations - totaling $105,513 - were instead deposited into her personal bank accounts and were used to pay for living expenses.

Her scheme was ultimately discovered by the Internal Revenue Service in 2019 and she was charged with one count of wire fraud in July 2020, which she pleaded guilty to last October.

According to federal prosecutors, Riley began documenting her bogus illness on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter in October 2012.

She also launched a blog, titled Lymphoma Can Suck It, according to federal prosecutors.

Riley shared photos of herself with captions claiming she was taking cancer drugs and receiving treatment.

She went so far as to shaved her head to make it appear as if she lost her hair during chemotherapy and even falsified medical records with forged doctors' letter and medical certificates.

Her blog also linked to a support page, which included false information about her fake 'battle with cancer.'

The description reads that Riley was initially diagnosed with cancer in June 2012 and had a brief remission the following year before the lymphoma returned 'with a vengeance' as a Stage-4 metastatic cancer, requiring several rounds of chemotherapy and radiation treatment at various hospitals around the country, including Johns Hopkins Hospital.

The now-defunct page featured a clickable 'donate now' icon for visitors to donate money online, and encouraged them to make contributions to 'support Amanda' and help her 'battle with cancer.'

Riley also received money from donors via checks that were deposited into her personal bank account from her friends, family and members of her church.

Other donations came from a Facebook challenge, CrossFit fundraiser, Christmas ornament sale, quilt raffle, Chili’s Grill & Bar fundraiser, calendar sales and eBay auctions of various items, includingan electric guitar autographed by country music stars John Michael Montgomery and LeAnn Rimes.

It has since been revealed that Riley had convinced her family members that she had cancer, and went as far to sue one person who questioned her diagnosis.

But in reality, Riley has never had Hodgkin’s lymphoma or any other type of cancer.

'When people donated to Riley over the internet or at in-person fundraisers, they believed their donations would be used to pay Riley’s cancer-related expenses,' according to the U.S. attorney's statement.

'In fact, Riley had no cancer-related expenses, and donors’ funds were simply deposited into Riley’s personal bank account.'

She ultimately pleaded guilty to the charges - acknowledging that between September 2012 and January 2019, she raked in hundreds of thousands of dollars by falsely claiming she battled Hodgkin’s lymphoma and soliciting donations on social media.

Since then, she lost her job as principal of Pac Point Christian Academy in Gilroy, and she and her husband, Cory, moved with their two sons to Texas.

In court documents obtained by DailyMail.com, her attorneys argued to Judge Beth Labson Freeman, that she should only face five years in prison.

'Ms. Riley recognizes the seriousness of her offense,' Jodi Linker, a public defender wrote to the judge last month, noting: 'She is extremely remorseful and is determined to do everything possible both to make restitution and to earn the forgiveness of the people she has hurt.'

The public defender went on to note that Riley 'is a devoted wife and mother, and, before her actions ended her career, she was a gifted teacher.'

Linker also insinuated in the sentencing memorandum that Riley had mental health issues, writing: 'On the surface, Ms. Riley's upbringing appears to have been relatively stable.

'Her parents fought often and sometimes imposed harsh punishments on the children, but her basic needs were met, and while she did not have many friends growing up, she was an excellent student who participated in extracurricular activities.

'As a teenager, however, Ms. Riley experienced a series of traumatic events, the impact of which went unacknowledged and unaddressed for many years.'

Any details of the 'traumatic events' were redacted from the document.

And in court on Tuesday, her family members and former co-workers testified about the 'caring' woman they knew, who is always there for her two young boys and her family.

Ginny Whelchel, a teacher at Pac Point Christian School, noting that Riley 'spent considerable time with troubled students and their families' and created a community service group.

Her brother, Tom Maneri, also wrote in his Victim Impact Statement that 'Amanda made a significant and life-changing mistake,' claiming it 'most likely started out as an outcry for attention and help.

'I'm confident she was in too deep and didn't know how to climb back out of the hole she had been digging for so long,' he wrote in the statement, which he read in court on Tuesday.

'After you've been living with a big lie on your chest for years, I can imagine it becomes part of your identity,' he added.

'She made a mistake and I'm confident she ad I both look forward to getting past the legal repercussions of her actions so that my entire family can work towards a healthier and brighter future.'

Meanwhile, Riley's father, Thomas Maneri, wrote that: 'Amanda has always been a very thoughtful and kind person, putting other people's feelings often before her own.

'I've tried to be equally supportive of Amanda, and although she didn't have cancer, she has struggled with several other physical health issues.

'She has always wanted my approval, and I know it breaks her heart to let me down.

'It breaks my heart to see her so broken from the weight of her horrible decision, and the pressure to protect her family thru the process.

'Our family struggled last Fall when Amanda finally told us all the truth,' he continued.

'But thru our anger, we still see the light in her and have seen the Hell she has been through that we wouldn't wish on anyone.'