If you were to think of reasons you'd fake having cancer, I assume meeting the Syracuse football team would be pretty far down the list. After all, they haven't even been above .500 since 2013. And yet, according to the Cayuga County Sheriff's Office, the parents of 9-year-old C.J. LaFrance did just that on behalf of their son this past season.
This past Friday those parents, Martin and Jolene LaFrance, were charged with scheme to defraud and endangering the welfare of a child. Additionally, the approximately $3,000 the family had racked up from a GoFundMe page will be returned to the 42 people who donated.
On that page, Martin had allegedly commented:
"I am truly humbled and at a los(s) for words, thank you all from the bottom of my heart, your generosity and compassion are simply amazing and overwhelming"
Deputies had learned, via a tip, that Martin and Jolene solicited donations under the phony premise that CJ had Hodgkin's lymphoma. A four-month investigation ensued, and the department learned that the youngster was never diagnosed with that particular cancer or any other medical condition.
Even worse, it was relayed by CJ's uncle (who is, presumably, real) that he had bonded with SU director of player development Roy Wittke, who's a two-time actual cancer survivor.
Anyway, if ever there was an instance to be at least slightly annoyed that a kid was cancer-free, this would be it.
