The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) confirmed that the search for Vanessa O’Rourke, a 37-year-old woman who remains on the run since she was indicted by a federal grand jury in 2018.
According to authorities, O’Rourke convinced family, friends and members of his community for months that he had glioblastoma, an aggressive and often fatal form of brain cancer, reported Fox Knowledge.
The accused would have assured that she needed financial help to pay for treatments, daily expenses and experimental medical procedures.
Donations financed trips to Australia, researchers say
According to the federal investigation, O’Rourke claimed that conventional treatments had failed and that his only hope for survival was to undergo an experimental therapy in Australia.
Moved by her situation, family and friends organized fundraising activities and made direct financial contributions to help her.
However, The authorities maintain that the diagnosis was completely false.
Investigators say that during a trip to Australia in April 2016, the woman did not receive any medical treatment and instead participated in tourist and recreational activities.
The accusation indicates that between October 2015 and July 2016 O’Rourke obtained financial support through false claims about his health.
After returning to the United States, he would have continued to request financial help and encouraged family and friends to organize new fundraising campaigns.
Among the activities carried out were a donation page on the website and a charity event held at a restaurant in Pennsylvania.
Prosecutors maintain that part of the funds obtained were used to finance a second trip to Australia during that same year.
He faces 15 federal charges
On May 3, 2018, a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania indicted O’Rourke on 15 counts of wire fraud.
That same year, a federal arrest warrant was issued, but the woman remains unaccounted for.
The FBI requests the public’s collaboration to obtain information to determine his whereabouts.
A case reminiscent of other high-profile medical scams
O’Rourke’s case joins other scandals related to people accused of inventing serious illnesses to obtain money through solidarity campaigns.
One of the best-known examples was Amanda Riley, a California woman who admitted to faking cancer for years while receiving more than $100,000 in donations.
Authorities have warned that these types of frauds are often especially effective because they appeal to the solidarity of family, friends and entire communities who believe they are helping a person facing a potentially fatal illness.
As the investigation continues, the FBI maintains Vanessa O’Rourke as a wanted person and encourages anyone with relevant information to contact authorities.
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