Va. Woman Who Faked Cancer to Raise Money Now Faces Felony Charges

A suburban Richmond, Virginia, woman who was convicted of two misdemeanors for faking cancer to raise money now faces felony charges.

Hanover County authorities say a grand jury on Tuesday indicted 42-year-old Martha Ann Nicholas on three counts of Medicaid fraud and two counts of obtaining money by false pretenses. In January, the Mechanicsville woman was fined $100 after pleading guilty to two misdemeanor false pretenses counts.

Attorney Sam Simpson, who represented Nicholas on the misdemeanor charges, said at the time that his client had been suffering from a condition that led her to believe she had a cancer-like illness. Simpson did not immediately return a telephone message Wednesday.

Nicholas is free on bond and will be arraigned on the felony counts June 27.