Gilbert woman arrested for faking cancer to steal money from friends and family

GILBERT, AZ - Gilbert Police arrested a 41-year-old woman accusing her of faking cancer to steal money from friends and family.

Kelly Ann Wasko was booked into the 4th Avenue jail on Monday accused of fraud and theft.

Police say she took a total of $20,000 by claiming she had cancer, and needed a bone marrow transplant that insurance wouldn't pay for.

A Facebook page was put up to help raise money.  Police say she got $1,000 from her adult daughter living out of state before her daughter turned her in. She took $350 from an actual cancer patient. Wasko also took an additional $8,000 from another woman after convincing her she had also recently lost a child.

Wasko does have two young children who are now in CPS care.

Some of her neighbors were afraid to talk to ABC15 News on camera. They say Wasko has threatened them in the past, and was mad they did not contribute to her cancer fund. They believe she was supporting a gambling habit. 

Wasko is now facing two felonies and is being held on a $250,000 bond.