VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – A 69-year-old man was arrested in Volusia County after after he was accused of posing as a cancer patient to scam a Florida nonprofit out of thousands of dollars.
Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood posted on social media, saying a Tampa-area woman who runs a nonprofit that pays living expenses for cancer patients while they’re in treatment or recovery contacted him about the alleged scheme.
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Chitwood said the woman’s organization was scammed by a man in Deltona, later identified as Timothy Ray Bartlett, who posed as a cancer patient to receive $5,000 in assistance.
Deputies said an investigation into Bartlett showed he posed as a “Sally Holmes,” who was out of work and undergoing treatment for breast cancer.
Chitwood also said that investigators learned Bartlett ran the same scam on nonprofits in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Tennessee and Wisconsin.
The organizations all pay living expenses for patients battling breast cancer, ovarian cancer and pediatric cancer.
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Detectives @VolusiaSheriff launched an investigation into Timothy Bartlett (DOB 5/16/1955), resulting in his arrest for grand theft and organized scheme to defraud.
— Mike Chitwood (@SheriffChitwood) June 3, 2024
We determined he posed as a "Sally Holmes" who was out of work and undergoing treatment for breast cancer. pic.twitter.com/1erujNfSWI
“I have seen a lot of morally reprehensible scams in my career, but this has to be one of the worst,” Chitwood said. " I owe a sincere THANK YOU to the founder of the nonprofit who reached out, and to the detectives who got the evidence to put this scumbag in jail where he belongs!”
Chitwood said Bartlett faces charges of grand theft and organized scheme to defraud.
It’s not known if Bartlett may face charges in the other states.
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