In a startling revelation, a Nevada mother admitted to concocting a story about having pancreatic cancer, all in a bid to evoke sympathy and companionship. This elaborate deception allowed her to collect over $20,000 in donations, which she lavishly spent on herself and her children.
Haleigh Knight recently appeared before a Las Vegas court, where she pleaded guilty to a felony theft charge. She confessed to misleading people by fabricating a cancer diagnosis, which facilitated the creation of a sham fundraising page. Her deceitful actions, spanning from June 2023 to April 2024, duped many, including a close friend who is a breast cancer survivor, as reported by the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Prosecutors unveiled incriminating text messages where Knight candidly admitted to masquerading as different individuals and setting up multiple GoFundMe accounts to perpetuate her false cancer narrative. These funds were diverted to cover her personal expenses and support her children’s needs.
Among Knight’s deceived acquaintances was Cydney Fink, a former high school classmate, who recounted Knight’s apology. According to court documents obtained by KLAS, Knight expressed feeling like she had a dual personality, which she claimed was beyond her control.
The documents further revealed Knight’s motive, stating she feigned illness to elicit guilt and affection from Cydney, her family, and her own family, banking on their sympathy and desire to be near someone purportedly terminally ill.
One of the victims, Suzanne Duroy, a breast cancer survivor, shared her disbelief with KSNV after discovering that Knight’s cancer diagnosis was a fabrication. Her donation to Knight’s GoFundMe was made in good faith, leaving her “in shock” upon learning the truth.
“I couldn’t believe it. I really could not believe it,” Duroy said, adding that she first met Knight in 2022 while they were working at a surgery center.
Duroy said she had relocated to Florida to care for her mother when Knight’s sister reached out to her about the fake cancer diagnosis — and being a cancer survivor herself — became her “chemo angel,” sending the con artist nearly $1,000 in gift cards and presents.
“It’s really not the money for me. It’s just the point, like I felt heartbroken for her,” Duroy said.
Prostate cancer develops in the prostate gland, which plays a key role in male reproductive function, according to the Mayo Clinic.
It is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers in men and, when detected early, is often highly treatable, though advanced cases can spread to other parts of the body.
Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in American men, claiming roughly 35,000 lives in the US each year.
Another of Knight’s victims, Rachel Riedel, described the fraudster as a “sociopath” who “will scam you if she can touch you.”
“It infuriates me that she would take advantage of her community, of her family,” Riedel told KSNV.
Following her guilty plea, Knight agreed to pay $19,787.12 in restitution as part of her plea deal, the Review-Journal reported.
If Knight pays the restitution and completes probation and other requirements, she can withdraw her felony plea, plead guilty to misdemeanor theft and receive credit for time served.
Knight is scheduled to be sentenced on June 24.
