A lot of girls dream of the perfect, high-budget wedding. Reality T.V. shows, bridal magazines and photo-sharing websites have bolstered women's dreams, making them more and more unrealistic. Now, girls search for expensive venues, menus and cakes and spend thousands of dollars on a luxurious wedding dress. Some people may think that the expectations for weddings are getting a little out of control. For one woman, the desire to see her dream wedding realized was more than out of control, it was even criminal.
A New York bride was recently caught faking cancer in order to collect funds for her dream wedding. The woman, J.V., pretended that she was dying of leukemia and that her last wish was to have a beautiful wedding and honeymoon with her true love. J.V. and her fiancé had one child, but had not yet tied the knot. Her emotional pleas for the perfect wedding tugged at the hearts of many philanthropists, and she was given a beautiful wedding gown free of charge. She also received free wedding tings and an Aruba time-share for her honeymoon.
J.V. had her beautiful wedding, complete with the perfect honeymoon, and her donators were undoubtedly pleased. That is, until J.V. and her new husband got in a violent fight. Her new husband, M.O., eventually went to the papers to admit J.V.'s scam. The story was picked up by the Times Herald-Record of Middletown and donors caught ear of the terrible rip-off. The couple divorced over the issue, and J.V. was arrested in early April. Law enforcement found J.V. and sent her to jail until her trial. At the time of her arrest, J.V. had moved back in with M.O. and was caring for their two children.
According to the Washington Post, J.V. spent two months in the county jail before her case was reviewed and she was released. She apologized to the courts, saying that she wanted a chance to prove her honesty and trustworthiness. Without much prodding, J.V. plead guilty to her charges of scheming to defraud and possession of a forged instrument. She was able to pay back more than $13,000 to her nine donors. The individual checks range from $500 to $3,700. Once all the generous people were repaid, J.V. was allowed out of custody. The courts have sentenced J.V. to five years on probation and 300 hours of community service, along with mandatory attendance to substance abuse and mental health programs.
According to J.V.'s lawyer, she has never been a criminal and had never entered a jail. The two months that she spent in incarceration have taken a toll on her. While M.O. claims that he had nothing to do with J.V.'s dishonest ploy for a dream wedding, the judge on the case is a bit skeptical. He wonders if M.O. helped J.V. to perpetrate the scam. According to the press, M.O. is currently living in his parent's home in New York along with his two children. Even though the couple has completed a divorce, M.O. intends to rekindle his relationship with J.V. as long as she doesn't make another dishonest blunder.
The donors were outraged and saddened by J.V.'s lies. The judge on the case remarked that no one wants to be taken advantage of. If you have been charged with scheming to defraud or forgery, the punishments can be severe. When you are not guilty, this can be an incredibly unjust occurrence. You will want an experienced criminal defense attorney to represent you in court and work to prove your innocence. With the right help, you may be able to avoid jail time, fines, probation, community service, and the other punishments that accompany a fraud conviction.
