We’ve all known people who seem less than truthful. We notice that sometimes the things they tell us just don’t add up. Usually, they are small lies. Sometimes, the lies are big enough that we make a mental note never to put our trust in that person again. But then there are the people who crave sympathy and attention so badly that they will say just about anything to get it. Michigan resident Sara Ylen may be one of those people.
Ms. Ylen pled no contest to Sanilac County fraud charges stemming from a scheme where she told people she was dying from cervical cancer even though no doctor had ever diagnosed her with the disease. She was able to collect thousands of dollars in donations from people in the community who believed the donations would go towards treatment and other cancer-related expenses. She also owes her insurance company about $122,000 for hospice treatment they paid for until it was discovered she had never been diagnosed with cancer. To increase the believability of her story, she allegedly forged medical records and used the letterhead from cancer doctors at the University of Michigan Hospital.
Woman took advantage of the goodwill of people
Sanilac County Circuit Court Judge Donald Teeple sentenced Ms. Ylen to one year in jail. At Ylen’s sentencing, he stated, “All of these fraudulent acts that you perpetrated on so many people, and the extent that you went to perpetrate them, is almost mind-boggling…You took advantage of the goodwill and generosity of people who were more than willing to assist you, all based on lies.”
This case really gets interesting when the back story is reviewed. In 2003, Ms. Ylen was interviewed for a popular story series in a Port Huron newspaper, where she spoke about being the victim of a 2001 rape for which a man was sentenced to 15 years in prison. However, a judge in 2012 reversed the man’s conviction after the man later learned Ylen had made false sexual assault allegations against a California man in 2001. Ylen was then sentenced to 5 years in prison in Michigan for lying about the rape. Her 1 year sentence for the fraud offense will be served at the same time she is serving her 5 years in prison. Interestingly, she allegedly told people that her cervical cancer was caused by the 2001 Michigan rape, and because she had been featured in so many newspaper articles about that rape, she had many supporters wanting to help her financially with her alleged cancer.
As criminal defense attorneys, we know that prosecutors and judges can be hard on those accused of committing “con jobs”. We also know that many are falsely accused. This is why we fight hard and tenaciously for our clients. To learn more, call us for a free consultation.