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Two Florida parents allegedly faked that their teenage son had cancer to con people into donating to his make-believe medical fund, which they blew on dinners out and other personal expenses, according to authorities and reports.
Edward Downing and Stephanie Skeris were arrested on Feb. 27 following a months-long investigation into their alleged scheme to pocket money from kind-hearted donors to their 15-year-old son, who they falsely claimed had cancer, according to the Dixie County Sheriff’s Office.
In December 2024, the parents began seeking medical care for their son due to weight loss and other medical concerns — but doctors did not find any cancer or tumors after conducting testing, police said.
Despite the better bill of health, investigators discovered Downing and Skeris told several people, including community members and business owners, that their son had cancer “affecting multiple areas of his body, including his chest and internal organs,” cops wrote in a statement.
The apparent tragic news sparked a slew of community members and local businesses to hold fundraisers for the “sick” teen.
The conniving parents then blew the donations — deposited in a bank account created for the teen’s medical expenses — on personal purchases, including restaurant meals, fuel, and cash withdrawals, according to investigators.
Several online fundraising efforts, including a GoFundMe for the boy they claimed had cancer, were created to solicit more donations for his “treatment” and “surgery,” police added.
A WCBJ article from March 21, 2025, reported that a pizza restaurant called Papa Luigi’s in Old Town was raising money for the Downing family after their son had been diagnosed with cancer. The restaurant donated $3 for every purchase made for a limited time.
“Thanks to the owners of ocean pond and to the people that donated,” an April 2025 Facebook post from Downing said, advertising another fundraiser.
Downing and Skeris were cuffed and charged with a scheme to defraud, communications fraud, and neglect of a child, cops said.
The parents were both released from custody after posting $75,000 bond each.
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