A hospice nurse in Colorado is accused of faking cancer in a plot to gain thousands of dollars from supporters and friends.
Jennifer Risa Stover told friends and co-workers that she was battling uterine cancer. She was able to swindle them out of more than $30,000.
Co-workers believed they were giving the money to Stover for her experimental treatments and mortgage. One co-worker even gave $12,000 to help with Stover’s medical bills.
Friends and co-workers soon became aware of her scam when she was unable to provide documentation showing her medical appointments. Stover quit her job at Collier Hospice Centre in Wheat Ridge, Colorado in June 2010.
Rosemary Swingle, colleague of Stover’s, said she was among 16 people from whom Stover swindled money.
“Our hearts went out to her. She went to the doctor and said she was having some issues. She didn’t want to talk about it much. The next thing I know is that she has cancer,” Swingle said.
“And I believed her, you know? I believed her and I wanted to help her,” she continued. Swingle said one of her friends even took money from her life savings to help Stover. She gave her more than $12,000.
Stover was indicted by a grand jury and charged with theft of $20,000 or more and charitable fraud.
She turned herself in and posted a $5,000 bond.
Currently Stover is back to work at another hospice facility on a temporary basis. Hospice of St. John (where Stover currently works) said they checked her background before they hired her.
