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Minnesota man faked cancer, spent donations on weed, video games, prosecutor says

He made about $23,000 from fundraisers
Posted at 5:55 AM, Oct 11, 2017
and last updated 2017-10-11 08:55:13-04

A Minnesota man is accused of faking cancer in order to collect thousands of dollars in donations that he allegedly spent on entertainment.

Jeremiah J. Smith, 37, of Faribault, Minnesota, has been charged with theft by swindle after the alleged con that dates back to February 2016.

According to Minneapolis's WCCO-TV, prosecutors said Smith collected about $23,000 from various fundraisers, including a GoFundMe page that netted $6,800 in donations.

 

Smith's scam may have been done in by his wife, who apparently was not in on it.

"[Smith's wife] went looking for medical records and couldn't get them and couldn't find them anywhere. And started asking more questions," WCCO reported.

Smith allegedly used the money to pay off credit cards, as well as to buy marijuana and play video games, including "Clash of Clans," prosecutors claim.

Clint Davis is a reporter for the Scripps National Desk. Follow him on Twitter @MrClintDavis. Keep up to date with the latest news by following @ScrippsNational on Twitter.