Lying 'dying bride' must repay her victims
Pretended to have cancer and used the cash to pay for a holiday in the Caribbean
Phony "dying bride" ordered to repay victims
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A New York bride faked having terminal cancer to swindle well-wishers into funding her dream wedding and honeymoon to the Caribbean.
Now, she has been ordered to repay more than $13,000 (that's over R100,000) to her victims, prosecutors said.
Jessica Vega, 25, pleaded guilty to fraud and forgery charges for deceiving people in the Hudson Valley area of New York into thinking she had only a few months to live.
Moved by her tale, individuals and businesses donated thousands of dollars to pay for her wedding in May 2010 and her honeymoon in Aruba.
Her scheme unravelled after her husband, Michael O'Connell, contacted the Times Herald-Record in Orange County to say his bride had faked her illness.
He was not charged, and the couple have since divorced.
However, the Times Herald-Record reported he was there to pick her up from jail on Wednesday.
"To prey on people's emotions by pretending to have a terminal illness is unconscionable," Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman said in a statement.
"I am pleased that the community members, who felt so compelled to generously help a neighbour in need, will be given back their hard-earned money."
Besides repaying $13,368.48 to her victims, Vega was sentenced to time already served in jail, must do 300 hours of community service and serve five years on probation. She spent eight weeks in jail before her release on Wednesday.
Vega agreed to hand over the money to repay the nine known victims ahead of her sentencing in the hope of receiving a more lenient sentence, and the cheques are due to be sent out to her victims over the coming week, a spokeswoman for the attorney general said.
MZANSI STYLE: For the real deal, be sure to visit our Weddings blog where beautiful brides and handsome grooms show us that true love is special..
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Comments
TKay
Next time she must marry a Msanzi man, they pay lobola, pay for the wedding and the honeymoonReport Abuse
MUGODOYI
@ TKay Next time she must marry a Msanzi man, they pay lobola, pay for the wedding and the honeymoon------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
these dayz woman marry man in muzanzi u dont knw heheheheheheheheheh
Report Abuse
dimpho_4U
dying bride had to make a plan..LOL,slim chikitaReport Abuse
MsKinkyakaKamaSutra
So webteam removed my comment..........nc, nc,Report Abuse
Galfrend
TKayNext time she must marry a Msanzi man, they pay lobola, pay for the wedding and the honeymoon
_____
lol they dont make those anymore...lol
Report Abuse
joyful
Her scheme unravelled after her husband, Michael O'Connell, contacted the Times Herald-Record in Orange County to say his bride had faked her illness.He was not charged, and the couple have since divorced.
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some men behave like " a woman scorned"! ex-hubby is a sour loser! he enjoyed the honeymoon and did not say anything, just 'cos they're divorced!
must say was a good "scheme" if there is such a thing!LOL!
Report Abuse
Fumsagp
hahahahaa ya ne things dat some woman do for money , its a shameReport Abuse
tpaz
no different from the cancer pregnant lady in mzansiReport Abuse
Mzalaz
@Mgodoyi, nkwahhhh mzansi men are masagha one time, and women will do anything including to marry a looser in order to have that huge ring in their fingers and b called madam mncm! these women even give malobola to men so @ Mgodoyi, you are 100 percent right man!Report Abuse
Papage
This is not news, old story, Sowetan get your act together.Report Abuse
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