I-Team: Cumming Nurse Admits Cancer Con

By: Randy Travis

Aired: Nov 30 2016

CUMMING, Ga. -A Cumming nurse admitted she spent years fooling people into thinking she was dying of cancer, collecting thousands of dollars in donations.

Mary Bennett pled guilty to one count of theft by deception and one count of forgery in Forsyth County Superior Court. Her plea comes ten months after a FOX 5 I-Team investigation raised questions about her cancer claim.

The 30-year-old hospice nurse told friends and family as far back as 2013 that she suffered from Stage IV ovarian cancer. In court, she offered what she said was her reason why: childhood sex abuse had left her suicidal and, to hide the truth from her family, she decided she would trick people into thinking she had died of cancer instead of by her own hand.

But then people started giving her things. Lots of things.

"I didn't know how to stop it," Bennett told the court. "It was a snowball effect. It just got bigger and bigger. Honestly, I didn't know what to do. It wasn't about the money. It was the mental illness."

But Bennett sure seemed to be enjoying herself. We obtained a video and photos showing her taking a free skydiving trip. A free hot air balloon ride. A free weekend in Biloxi. At least $25,000 worth of free stuff or cash according to investigators, all because good people really wanted to help a woman who claimed to be dying from cancer. Bennett even walked as a cancer survivor in a special race event.

"There are real cancer survivors walking, real people on chemo walking in those walks moving forward and she's getting all of this accolade for putting herself out there in the midst of all her pain and agony," criticized chief assistant district attorney Sandra Partridge.

Bennett apologized for her actions.

"I'm extremely remorseful that I hurt so many people and I wish that I could take it back," she read from a prepared statement.

Mary Bennett not only fooled the Forsyth County community. She also fooled her family. Even when she asked them to pay for breast augmentation surgery while she was supposedly undergoing cancer treatment, they say they never became suspicious.

But prosecutors were not sold on Bennett's explanation. Assistant D.A. Partridge pointed out Bennett only started talking about suicide or child molestation after questions surfaced about her cancer claims.

And judge Bagley said Bennett could have told another lie when the donations got out of hand -- her cancer had disappeared.

Instead, she kept friends and neighbors living in her fantasy world.

"All these people you duped," judge Bagley reminded Bennett. "That's the reason you have to pay for this crime."

Bennett will serve five years in prison, fifteen years probation, and she must pay back all those people who actually gave her money which prosecutors say could be as much as $15,000.

[jeffallen]

She's still lying, and using childhood abuse and threats of suicide as excuses. She is only sorry she got caught. Why should anyone believe she was abused as a child, and she is disrespectful towards those who have survived childhood abuse and suicidal tendencies.

[mommabear]

If she was going to kill herself even with that excuse.... She wouldn't have waited that long. Makes me so sick

[lovelygirl]

I can't believe shes 29, she looks 53

[SamEsss]

Also, for someone suicidal, she sure looks very happy and upbeat in all her pictures and videos.

[Gysele]

She "walked as a cancer survivor". Probably the most she's ever walked in her life.

[wendicarpenter]

This pisses me off greatly. My beautiful 27yr old daughter charley passed away from breast cancer on 11/23/19...an we tried so hard to raise the money to get her to texas so they could have maybe saved her when the cancer went to her bones than her liver. She went toxic b4 we could raise the money for my baby legally. To me thz people took from honest people who truly needs it. It just breaks my heart

[jjpopnfresh]

Oh, now she's the victim. Riiiigght

[zeke]

If she was suicidal, she wouldnt be doing all these things on her bucket list.

[Beatles.lassie]

Urgh! She makes me so angry, she needs a hard slap! Shes still lying for god's sake! 'Pity me pity me' !! 😒😒😣

[pepshaven]

I have to wonder how 'sorry' she'd be if she hadn't got caught. Using childhood abuse is just an attempt to gain sympathy and appear as a victim rather than a callous con artist. I say make her pay back every cent she took from others and pay for all the freebies she received.

[Teafa]

The hit the nail on the head, when they said one of the worst parts about this, was that they tarnished the trust of giving our support to true cancer patients.. I mean- her own family trusted she had cancer.. if *your* own family member told you they had cancer, and you feel like "hmmm? Maybe I need proof.." THAT is the sad part.

Her, and people like her, are the lowest of the low.

[havingteawiththedevil]

If someone has cancer the last thing they are even thinking about is breast augmentation surgery. 😒

[Okami]

"It wasn't about the money."

THEN WHY DID YOU ACCEPT IT?!

[lenasharmaine]

That is so disgusting to me. People die everyday from cancer, and she used it as a joke, to get free things. 😠😡😠😡😠

[weltonvillegal]

I’ve heard better excuses from my kids when they’ve hit each other and/or broke something right in front of me.

[emmarobbieus]

What happened to the free liposuction???

[peniparker]

That was a pretty good justice call. 5 years in prison and pays back all the money she stole. Thats actually legit

[absolutetruthgirl]

as a child abuse survivor this woman's defense is laughable. some abuse survivor's are broken people...suffering from depression, eating disorders, D.I.D. and a host of other interpersonal issues. They do not decide to "try" and kill themselves...sadly, they are pretty successful at harming themselves. With treatment, I live a very happy life. Mary Bennett will live an awful life in jail.

[CaptchaNeon]

I was molested as a child, severely physically abused and raped multiple times as a teen/young adult. I have NEVER thought about faking a diagnosis or committing fraud.

[reenym]

I just lost a friend to cancer at 36 years old. Her 10 year old daughter is struggling to cope. Another friend just got diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. This woman is horrid to say she had this, collect money and keep up the charade.