YOU'RE WATCHING MINNESOTA'S
MOST WATCHED STATION.
THIS IS WCCO4 NEWS.
RICE COUNTIES IT IS A CRIME
LIKE ANY OTHER, A CRIME THEY
HAVE NOT SEEN BEFORE.
A MAN LIED ABOUT HAVING
TERMINAL CANCER AND THEN
COLLECTED THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS
IN DONATIONS.
PROSECUTORS CHARGED 37 YEAR OLD
JEREMYA SMITH WITH THEFT LAST
WEEK.
WILL FUNDRAISERS GENERATED
$23,000 TO HELP COVER HIS
MEDICAL CARE AND EXPENSES.
TURNS OUT HE SPENT THE MONEY ON
ENTERTAINMENT.
WCCO SPOKE WITH THE
INVESTIGATORS.
IT IS SURPRISING FOR THOSE
WHO DON'T EXPECT PEOPLE TO
PRETEND TO HAVE A DISEASE TO
MAKE MONEY OFF IT.
REPORTER: POLICE RECEIVED A
TIP ABOUT SMITH IN MAY OF 2016
AFTER A SERIES OF FUNDRAISERS
WERE HELD FOR HIM.
ONE YEAR AT THE BALL -- MET AT
$9,000.
ANOTHER ONE ON FEBRUARY 6TH
BROUGHT IN NEARLY $6,600.
THAT'S ALL ON TOP OF A GOFUNDME
PAGE THAT BROUGHT IN $6,800.
FAIRLY CONFIDENT THAT MR.
SMITH WAS THE ONLY ONE THAT WAS
AWARE THAT HE WASN'T SICK WHEN
THEY WERE PLANNING THESE
FUNDRAISERS.
HE DIDN'T REALLY IT GIVE IT
AWAY TO ANYONE.
HE WAS PLAYING THIS PART.
HE WAS ACTING LIKE A CONMAN.
REPORTER: COURT RECORDS SHOW
SMITH'S WIFE ALSO BECAME
SUSPICIOUS WHEN SHE COULDN'T
FIND MEDICAL RECORDS TO BACK UP
HIS CLAIMS.
SHE WENT LOOKING FOR MEDICAL
RECORDS AND COULDN'T GET THEM
AND COULDN'T FIND THEM
ANYWHERE.
AND STARTED ASKING MORE
QUESTIONS.
REPORTER: WHEN QUESTIONED BY
POLICE, SMITH REPEATEDLY SAID
HE'D PROVIDE THE MEDICAL
RECORDS, BUT HE NEVER DID, SO
THEY GOT A SEARCH WARRANT.
THEY GOT SEARCH WARRANTS TO
TALK TO A DOCTOR TO LEARN THAT
NO IN FACT, HE DOESN'T HAVE
CANCER.
REPORTER: THE CRIMINAL
COMPLAINT ALLEGES HE USED SOME
OF THE MONTOW PLAY ONLINE GAMES
AND BUY MARIJUANA.
PEOPLE CONTRIBUTED UP TO
$25,000 TO PAY FOR -- HE BLEW
ON THINGS HE WANTED TO SPEND
MONEY ON.
AND THE PEOPLE WHO CONTRIBUTED
FEEL BETRAYED.
REPORTER: ANGELA DAVIS,
WCCO4 NEWS.
SMITH IS CHARGED WITH A
