Russo, accused in cancer scam, set for Scott County Court sentencing

Sentencing for a 20-year-old woman accused of a cancer scam has been set for Oct. 20 in Scott County Court, court records show.

Madison Russo made a plea deal in the first-degree theft case filed against her in connection with a cancer scam. She is accused of stealing more than $37,000 between February 2022 and February 2023 from over 439 donors with false claims that she had acute lymphoblastic leukemia, stage 2 pancreatic cancer and “a tumor the size of a football” that wrapped around her spine.

In a news release, Eldridge Police say Russo shared the story on social media, on GoFundMe and in the North Scott Press. She spoke about her condition at St. Ambrose University, The National Pancreatic Cancer Foundation in Chicago and a Project Purple podcast. Police also allege that Russo received private donations from businesses, nonprofit organizations and school districts.

Earlier, Russo had pleaded not guilty, according to court documents that mention “the theft of property exceeding $10,000.00, to-wit: the defendant obtained in excess of $37,000.00 in charitable donations by deceptively representing to the public she had cancer, thereby receiving charitable donations directly from members of the public and/or through a GoFundMe account set up to receive charitable donations.”

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