Parents lied about teen son's cancer to raise money they used for 'personal purchases' including nights out at restaurants: Police

The parents of a Florida teen were arrested aft constabulary said they started a GoFundMe run to rise wealth for the teen's crab attraction — but the teen was ne'er diagnosed with cancer.

Edward Downing and Stephanie Skeris were charged with fraud and child neglect aft the Dixie County Sheriff's Office said they raised wealth successful their assemblage to wage for their son's aesculapian costs, but used the wealth for "personal purchases" including gas, shopping, and edifice meals. The alleged ruse started aft the mates brought their then-15-year-old lad to the doc successful December 2024 aft helium experienced value nonaccomplishment and different unspecified aesculapian concerns.

But authorities learned that the teen was ne'er diagnosed with immoderate signifier of cancer. That did not halt Downing and Skeris from allegedly creating "multiple fundraisers" and telling radical successful their community that their lad had crab that affected respective of his interior organs.

According to March 2025 quality sum by section ABC affiliate WCJB, Downing told the station, "[W]e recovered retired that helium has cancer, and I don't truly cognize however to instrumentality this. As a father, each I tin bash is emotion him time by day, conscionable hoping helium gets better."

WCJB besides spoke to the then-15-year-old, who said, "I noticed a tiny bump connected my chest, but I was acting beauteous normal. I saw it popular up a small bit, told my ma astir it, and past we went to the hospital."

Skeris was besides quoted successful the story, saying of the community's assistance pursuing her son's diagnosis, "It helps tremendously to wage for his doc visits, truthful it's not truthful hard connected america and everything else."

In summation to section fundraisers astatine businesses successful their Old Town, Florida, community, Downing and Skeris besides started a GoFundMe, which resulted successful a azygous $25 donor who has since been refunded, according to Oxygen.com.

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Investigators soon uncovered a dedicated slope relationship that held the wealth raised for the teen's aesculapian treatment. The couple, however, allegedly utilized that wealth for idiosyncratic purchases, including retail transactions, fuel, edifice meals, and currency withdrawals.

Authorities said the teen did person "legitimate" aesculapian issues, and Medicaid covered the outgo of those treatments. The teen was aboriginal removed from his parents' custody aft concerns were raised astir his "well-being and aesculapian care."

Downing and Skeris were charged with strategy to defraud, communications fraud, and kid neglect. They were released from custody aft posting $75,000 bond. Both are scheduled to beryllium arraigned connected April 7.