Levy deputies: Dunnellon woman scammed churches

[IM4given]

http://www.ocala.com/article/20081204/A ... d_churches

Levy deputies: Dunnellon woman scammed churches

By Karen Voyles
Staff Writer

Published: Thursday, December 4, 2008 at 3:43 p.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, December 4, 2008 at 3:45 p.m.

A woman has been arrested after authorities say she took her preschooler to four Levy County churches, falsely claimed that the child needed a kidney transplant and asked for prayer and money to take the child to a specialty hospital for the surgery.

Misty Dawn Everly, 34, Dunnellon, was arrested Tuesday and charged with one count of scheme to defraud and for violating her probation for a Marion County grand theft conviction. Levy County Sheriff?s Office Investigator Roger Bell said charges are pending against Everly on three additional counts of scheme to defraud.

According to court records, on Nov. 23 Everly went to a church in Bronson and, while holding her four-year-old child, told the congregation that the child needed a kidney transplant as a result of kidney cancer. According to church members, Everly claimed she had received a phone call from St. Jude's Hospital in Memphis, Tenn., informing her that a child there was on life support and Everly needed to get her own child to the hospital as soon as possible for the transplant.

Everly reportedly asked for prayer as well as money for the trip. After praying for the child, the congregation took up an offering and gave the $420 collected to Everly.

Investigators determined that after the church service had ended, Everly crossed the street and told the congregation of another church the same story.

Sheriff?s Capt. Evan Sullivan said Everly repeated the pattern on Nov. 30 in Williston, asking for and receiving prayer and cash from two more church.

Bell said officials at St. Jude's Hospital and the Ronald McDonald House in Memphis were unable to find any record of Everly or the child having appointments or any other contact with them for a kidney transplant or for any other reason.

According to Bell, Everly?s story to the churches was evidence that she intended to defraud more than one person under false pretenses and by misrepresentation.

Everly was arrested in Marion County on the Levy County charges Tuesday and also for violating her probation on a 2006 conviction for writing bad checks totaling between $300 and $5,000. Everly previously served a two-year probation for a Polk County conviction for writing bad checks.

[IM4given]

I think it is terrible that a woman would scam people in this manner - she was probably wanting money to buy dope. I belive that what she did is also going to put her son in jeoaprdy - they way she pretended him to be sick , what if he actually does become sick now? PLus it is going to make the congregations of those churches cynical about helping anyone again like that. Have any of you ever reached out to someone before who was just pulling a scam like this? This is the first time I have ever heard of someone doing something this cold and cruel and calculated.

[OLD fashioned preacher]

goes on all of the time. Pastor on or adjacent to an interstate or other major highway and your see some very slick and creative bums.

Out of gas, going back to my wife who left me, need meds - will pay you back on payday, preacher traveling to a meeting and ran short of funds, just got saved (in your church service) and happen to be in need and traveling through, electric bill was high and can't afford baby formula, etc..

Offer to buy the item, or offer to pay in exchange for work @ house or church and watch well over 95% of these people disappear as they complain that you won't help them out and yet call yourself a Christian.

The few that accept those kind of terms -- I'll take my chances on them.

[JerryNumbers]

Yes, I know of a couple who stopped by a church asking for help. When they gave them several bags of groceries they were enraged, said what we need is money. No, they did not take the groceries with them.

Can't buy liquor and or dope with groceries.

[anime4christ]

I recently saw a guy with a sign that read: "Why lie? I need a beer." At least some are honest I guess.

[JerryNumbers]

It might have been a planned tactic, the fellow knowing his sing would be an unusual attention and he might get more beer money with such a sign.

The ungodly use the truth when its to their advantage, in fact most all false teachers use partial Bible truths to gain followers. In fact thos who use particl Bible truths are the most dangerous and the Bible warns us about them.

1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,

4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,

7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

8 Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.

9 But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was.

2 Tim 3:1-9 (KJV)

10 For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision:
11 Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake.
12 One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies.
Titus 1:10-12 (KJV)

Paul spoke rather harshly of and to such people. Now days when a true believe talks harshly, takes a stand, of and or to such people many Christians will rush to defend such deceivers who pervert the Gospel. In reality what they are doing is helping the false teachers and standing directly against God and Christ.

[Salyan]

I recently saw a guy with a sign that read: "Why lie? I need a beer." At least some are honest I guess.

Not that I'd ever knowingly give someone money for that purpose, but with a sign like that, I'd be tempted to!

[HappyChristian]

How sad. This woman using her child that way...it does happen all the time, and that is what is so sad.

I remember years ago, my husband took over a paper route in our neighborhood. The first time I went collecting for him, one of the customers told me he would never write the check to us personally because the woman before us bilked the company, and brought her son (I had mine with me) and used him to gain pity, especially around Christmas time, because they were so "poor." I told him that was fine, that he could write the check however he wanted. As time went on and he saw we weren't scamming, he started paying in cash, and often gave my son $5 to go to McDonalds. :Green

We got to know this woman pretty well, and she does try to scam, even today, umpteen years later!