Strangers Step in To Offer Wedding For Terminally Ill Bride

4/11/12
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Strangers step in to offer wedding for terminally ill bride

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Michael O'Connell and Jessica V ega kiss after getting their mar r iage license at City Hall in Newbur gh. Doctor s say Jessica has 6 to 8 months to live. Times Her ald-Recor d/JEFF GOULDING
By Doyle Murphy
Times Herald-Record Published: 2:00 AM - 04/26/10 CITY OF NEWBURGH The young woman hurts. Knees. Feet. Bones. She shuts her mind to all of it and locks onto the questions of the moment: Long, flowing train? What about the veil? Ivory? Pure white? Dozens of wedding dresses hang on racks at Bella Couture in Newburgh. Many young women have lingered here, musing on the combination of details that must come together to create the perfect dress. Jessica Vega is a good age 23 for this adventure. She and a girlfriend pick their way through the aisles. Keri Ciastko is working alone in Bella Couture when Jessica comes in, but that's no problem. She's a natural at this. Even pregnant, Keri reflects the energy of the young women who go whirling through the store, matching their giddy anticipation. Jessica, however, presents a problem. She needs the dress by May 2. The staff at Bella Couture usually have months for the fitting, tailoring and perfecting all the little details to make sure the dress is THE dress for the wedding day. But Jessica can't wait months. Keri takes in the close cut of Jessica's hair and begins to understand. She makes a phone call to her bosses a couple of minutes later, and by the time she calls her sister-in-law a few minutes after that, she is nearly in tears. I don't know what I can do, Keri tells her sister-in-law.
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Campus romance blossoms

The young man hurts. He worked a 16-hour shift the day before. He's grateful for the work. Hours were hard to get during the winter, but he wrenched his back jumping off the truck last night. He's 23 and moves like an old man today. Michael O'Connell was like a kid, eager, two years ago when he finally had the opportunity to walk Jessica to class on the Manhattan campus of the Institute of Culinary Education. You going to give me your number? he asked her. You going to give me your number?
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He asked five times before she finally said he could call. It wasn't long before they were spending long weekends together, and not long after that they moved in together. Their daughter, Ava Lily O'Connell, came in May 2009. The restaurant where Michael worked suddenly closed, but he was able to find a construction job with Boyce Excavating Co. to support his young family. Jessica had worked as a private chef in Westchester County until the diagnosis. They didn't believe the doctor at first, but a second opinion came back the same: acute myeloid leukemia. Terminal. Jessica never knew Michael to cry, but he cried with her each day for two weeks. Just the two of them, sitting in their car parked outside their apartment. One day, they stopped crying. Jessica stopped talking about the pain. Michael tried to forget the doctor's letter was even in the house. Instead, they would focus on a wedding.
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From makeup to flowers

Keri's phone calls that day from the bridal shop unearth a spider web of connections. Her sister-in-law, Rachel Taylor, does hair and makeup aside from her duties as a technical sergeant at Stewart Air National Guard Base. Without ever meeting Jessica, Rachel volunteers to do hair and makeup for her and all seven bridesmaids on the day of the wedding.
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Bella Couture owners Gina Verdi and Tara Pellegrino agree to give Jessica her dress for half price, and DRIVERS then reconsider. Just give it to her, they tell Keri. Honeymoon? Rachel talks to her husband, Vinh, and they decide to give up their time-share so Jessica and Michael can spend some time alone in Aruba. Flowers? Lisa Stoker, a friend of Michael's mother, owns the Wallkill River House. She sits Jessica down and opens a big book of options: First, I need to know from you what you want. What else? Rachel is dedicated to this mission now, and her mind scans through a vast network of connections. Military contacts. Relatives. Friends. There, at the edges, she half remembers a little boy and his family. It's been more than a decade since she's seen them. Rachel picks up the phone and punches in the numbers.
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Arranging for the rings

Tom and Kim Kavanagh's son, Shawn, was 10 years old when he was diagnosed with leukemia. It was a frightening time for the family, and they took comfort in the Young Champions program at Stewart Air National Guard Base. The soldiers treated Shawn like a friend, inviting him on base for an awards ceremony and then back as an alumnus for parties. Shawn eventually recovered and grew into a strapping, 22-year-old Marine. Tom and Kim never forgot the Young Champions program. So when a soldier and longtime Young Champions volunteer named Rachel calls Kavanagh's Jewelers one day, it takes about 30 seconds for Tom to offer two wedding rings to a young couple he and his wife have never met.
Letters that will last forever

The only time Jessica gets angry about her future is when she allows herself to think about the bestcase scenario. Maybe she quadruples the 6- to-8-month time frame doctors have given her. Maybe she even gets four or five years before the disease takes her. Her daughter, Ava, still won't remember her, she thinks. Jessica has considered solutions and has settled on letters. Each one will be in its own envelope, stowed away so that Michael can bring them out, one at a time, as the girl grows older and asks questions only her mother could answer. Jessica thinks she might write one about the prom. Maybe another for graduation. And in one envelope, Jessica plans to write a letter Michael can bring out at just the right time. Ava's mother will tell her about love. dmurphy@th-record.com
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recordonline.com - Bride's 'Till death do us part' story was false, husband says
Bride's 'Till death do us part' story was false, husband says He disputes wife's claims she was dying
By Doyle Murphy Times Herald-Record Published: 2:00 AM - 09/06/10 Michael O'Connell preferred to pretend there was only today and to forget that his wife's cancer would probably kill her in less than a year. That's the way he used to think. "I had to prepare for her to die," O'Connell said. Now O'Connell says his wife, Jessica Vega, had pretended saying she had terminal leukemia in order to scam him, everyone they knew and a long list of strangers who heard her story and wanted to help. O'Connell and Vega were featured April 26 in a Times Herald-Record story about the many people who had come together to organize a dream wedding while the bride was still strong enough to walk down the aisle. The story prompted dozens of others to help the 23-year-olds and their baby daughter in the week leading up to their May 2 wedding. Strangers had donated everything from Vega's dress to wedding photos. For the couple's honeymoon, they flew on donated plane tickets to Aruba, where they stayed in a donated time share and spent donated money. O'Connell said recently that it was all based on a lie. Vega's health hadn't gotten any worse, and he believed she never had a terminal illness. O'Connell insisted a letter from Dr. Dan Costin that described her diagnosis was a fake. When I was reporting the April 26 story, Vega showed me the letter to verify her diagnosis. Now O'Connell had invited me to listen in when he called Costin's Westchester office and asked about Vega's medical records: "Never a patient here" was the response. He hadn't wanted to look at Costin's letter before. And Vega had said in April that she kept it hidden to make life easier for him. O'Connell said he now wished he'd checked out the letter sooner. In his mother's house in Walden, he switched on the speakerphone and dialed Costin's number. A receptionist transferred O'Connell to an administrator who sounded exasperated to hear from him again.
"I can tell you for sure this person was never a patient here," the woman said, adding that they didn't want to keep receiving his calls. O'Connell hung up and pumped his fist.
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"Yes! I did it!" he said. O'Connell has said he's glad to think Vega will live, but he is candidly bitter about being duped. He hit redial on the phone so I could hear the greeting on Costin's automated calling system. I copied down the phone number and checked it against the one I had for Costin. The numbers matched. Vega had been hard to reach. I called her for several days before overhearing the conversation with Costin's administrator. She hadn't responded to messages left on her cell phone, her father's phone or in her e-mail. Her mother, Diana Vega, did answer a later call. "Jessie would never do something so manipulative," Diana Vega said and agreed to pass on a message to her daughter.
Vega calls husband abusive

Jessica Vega called the next day and said she had not lied about her diagnosis or the letter, although she now doubted their accuracy. She said she had a new doctor in the Bronx and was getting better away from O'Connell by eating fresh food, exercising and drinking nothing but water and tea. She promised to let me tag along on her next doctor's visit when she was due to have a white-blood-cell count taken. Vega was unhealthy living with O'Connell and left because he was physically abusive, she said. "I don't think he really wants to go down that route of me exposing him," she said. O'Connell had previously said he'd bitten Vega on the elbow once when they were living in Yonkers. He said he was trying to escape her headlock at the time, but it still led to his arrest and a temporary restraining order against him. He said he also slapped her during a fight at their Montgomery apartment before they separated. He claimed Vega had torn up his car and punched him in the face that day because he was kicking her out. "I slapped the fire out of her," O'Connell said. "Enough is enough."
No trip to the doctor

After the conversation with Costin's administrator, I called Vega, told her what I'd heard and asked her again if the letter was real.
"I really did receive it," she said; it came in the mail. I reminded her that she told me in April that Costin had typed the note in front of her and handed it to her.
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Vega paused. "I guess I did not do that," she said. Asked to clarify, she paused again, then said he did type it in front of her, but he also sent it in the mail. She said we could still go see her doctor in the Bronx. I agreed to go, but said I also wanted to see Costin. She agreed and promised to send a text message with the Bronx doctor's address as soon as she hung up. The text message didn't come after she hung up, and it didn't come the day after or the day after that. On the day we were to visit the Bronx doctor, she sent a text message saying she'd just received her divorce papers and had to cancel the blood test. "I have to meet up wit my lawyer instead hope u understand that settlin my divorce is more important and time consuming than this article," she wrote. The only other messages she sent in the week that followed were about preventing an article and "legal consequences." There were no more plans for doctor's visits. O'Connell said he would fight for full custody of their daughter in the divorce. He's now consumed with preparing for a future he had tried not to think about for so long: life as a single parent. dmurphy@th-record.com
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Anger mounts against dying' bride | recordonline.com

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Anger mounts against dying' bride

But some are still buoyed by good deeds
Tom Kavanaugh and his wife, Kim, of Kavanaugh Jeweller s, look over the r ings they had donated to Mike O'Connell and Jessica V ega's wedding about six months ago. The gr oom's father r etur ned the r ings befor e the stor y br oke, r aising doubt about the br ide's stor y. JEFF GOULDING/Times Her ald-Recor d
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By Doyle Murphy
Times Herald-Record Published: 2:00 AM - 09/09/10 A lot of generous people are left to decide what to do, now that a young bride's story has turned from tragic to dubious. Photographer Joel Schreibman has already made his decision. I'm going after her, Schreibman said. Schreibman was one of dozens of people who helped pull together a dream wedding for Jessica Vega and Michael O'Connell, because he thought the bride was dying of terminal leukemia. O'Connell now says Vega was lying. Staff for a Westchester cancer specialist who supposedly treated Vega backed up O'Connell's claim when they denied she was ever a patient. Schreibman donated after reading an April 26 story in the Times Herald-Record about the couple's supposedly doomed future. Now, he's furious. It is despicable what she did and how we were conned by her, Schreibman said. Vega had previously denied doing anything wrong and did not respond to a request to comment for this story. Schreibman estimated the portfolio of wedding photos he donated to the couple through his company, Mandon Productions, was worth as much as $1,100. Schreibman said he's contacted the Ulster County District Attorney and planned to file charges. News of the sweetheart story turned sour spread rapidly across the country and beyond. O'Connell has requests from several national television programs to appear on their shows and more producers and reporters call every day. The story broke Denise Taylor's heart. She donated $500 to the couple and wept when she learned of the accusations. I feel like I've been slapped in the face, she said. Still, she doesn't regret her good deed. I felt good for weeks because I thought I had helped someone, Taylor said. Lisa Stoker, owner of Wallkill River House, said she'd like to see Vega prosecuted and will consider it a lesson learned. Stoker said she thought she was helping grant a dying young woman's wish when she offered free flowers for the ceremony. So she didn't suggest cheaper alternatives when Vega picked out an array of premium flowers for the May 2 wedding. The retail value of the flowers totaled about $2,200, Stoker said. She and her husband will continue help people privately, Stoker said, but she'll probably never put her business on the line again. What she did makes it horrible for the people who have real need, Stoker said. Tom and Kim Kavanagh, owners of Kavanagh Jewelers, donated two white gold wedding bands to the couple. Their son had survived leukemia a decade ago and they were quick to help the young

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couple.
Anger mounts against dying' bride | recordonline.com

The Kavanaghs were shocked by the sudden twist but said they would not be deterred. As unbelievable as this sounds, Tom Kavanagh said. I still wouldn't hesitate to do it again if I got the same call tomorrow. dmurphy@th-record.com
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Newburgh bride tops most heinous' list for now | recordonline.com

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Newburgh bride tops most heinous' list for now

By Jeremiah Horrigan
Text Size: A | A | A Print this Article ShareThis Email this Article
Published: 2:00 AM - 10/01/10 Jessica Vega, the young Newburgh bride who turned a bogus
cancer story into a bounty of free wedding gifts last spring, holds the top spot as The Most Heinous Bride Ever at Glamour Magazine blog site. Vega claimed to have only months to live. She got thousands of dollars in donated wedding services and paraphernalia. She and her husband, Michael O'Connor, who says he was duped by her story, have since separated.. jhorrigan@th-record.com
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AG probes Cancer Bride case | recordonline.com

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AG probes Cancer Bride case

Jessica V ega on her wedding day, May 2, 2010. Donor s gave her a dr eam wedding, when they thought she had ter minal cancer . Photo cour tesy of Mandon Pr oductions
By Doyle Murphy
Times Herald-Record Published: 2:00 AM - 08/25/11 The Cancer Bride is under investigation by the state attorney general. Jessica Vega enjoyed a dream wedding and honeymoon to Aruba in May 2010, thanks to the generosity of big-hearted donors who were touched by the young mother's claims that she had terminal cancer. Her story began to unravel when her new husband, Michael O'Connell, said she had faked it all. Staff at a Westchester doctor's office where Vega claimed she was diagnosed also denied she had ever been a patient. Now, the attorney general is involved.
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Investigation under way

Investigators began interviewing donors and O'Connell in February. Investigators also contacted the Times HeraldRecord earlier this month. The paper has declined through a lawyer to participate in the investigation. A spokeswoman for the attorney general on Wednesday declined to speak about the investigation or possibility of criminal charges against Vega.
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Following a previous request for comment, spokeswoman Michelle Duffy said, "While we cannot comment on potential or ongoing investigations, we are aware of the situation." Vega did not respond to a request for comment. Joel Schreibman donated his photography services for the wedding in the hamlet of Wallkill. He was furious when he learned that he might have been duped, and he said he spoke to a state investigator at the beginning of the year. He said he's one of the few donors who wanted to pursue a case against Vega. "People don't want to admit they've been had," Schreibman said. He'd love to see her go to jail or pay back the donations, he said, but he's more concerned about Vega's baby daughter, Ava. "She's going to have to grow up, either being deprived of a normal family life or hearing, 'Your mother did this to people,'" Schreibman said. O'Connell said he and Vega have divorced. Ava is staying with Vega in Yonkers, and he has moved to Virginia for work, he said. He's still in touch with the attorney general's investigators, and he'd still like to hear Vega admit she lied, but it's not the all-consuming issue it once was. "I'm at the point where, really, I'm over it," he said. "I'm not even mad about it."
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Rachel Taylor said she doesn't hate Vega either. Taylor worked tirelessly to line up donors for Vega's wedding. She styled hair for the bridal party, donated her time share in Aruba for the honeymoon and even lent Vega her entire summer wardrobe for the trip. When an investigator called in February, she told him what she knew and moved on. She and her sister-in-law Keri Ciastko bought Bella Couture in Newburgh. It's the bridal shop where Ciastko first met Vega more than a year ago.
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help someone. dmurphy@th-record.com
AG probes Cancer Bride case | recordonline.com

It's sad, Taylor said as she worked in the store on Wednesday, but she'd do it all again if she could
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Duped donor says lying bride needs help, not prison time | recordonline.com
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Duped donor says lying bride needs help, not prison time
Michael O'Connell and Jessica V ega dancing at their May 2, 2010 wedding r eception. Photo pr ovided by Mandov Pr oductions
By James Nani
Times Herald-Record Published: 2:00 AM - 04/10/12 Last updated: 6:04 PM - 04/10/12 GOSHEN A woman who thought she was helping a cancer victim get the wedding of her dreams before she died wants the fake bride to get help, not prison. Jessica Vega faces charges she faked terminal cancer to score a dream wedding and honeymoon, the state attorney general announced on Monday. Lisa Stoker of the Wallkill River House said she feels no anger towards Vega. In no way am I saying she's guiltless, but sitting in jail isn't helping. She should get mental help, make restitution and apologize, said Stoker. Stoker said the whole reason Vega allegedly made lied about her cancer diagnosis was to get Michael O'Connell to marry her. She got caught in this snowball of a lie...at that point she didn't know how to get out of it. She wanted it so badly. said Stoker. Stoker said she doesn't defend Vega's actions, but thinks Vega's actions don't deserve prison time. Ultimately you're going to pay the price one way or another, said Stoker. An Orange County Grand Jury has indicted the 25-year-old former Montgomery resident on six felonies: five counts of grand larceny and one count scheme to defraud. M ore
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By pretending to have a terminal illness, Vega inexcusably took advantage of the community's hearts and minds, and profited off of their generosity, Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said. Our office will hold this individual accountable for fleecing the public through lies and deception. Hamlet of Wallkill resident Keri Ciastko, 28, was one of those who helped get the charitable snowball rolling for Vega. When Vega walked into Bella Couture back in 2010, Ciastko noticed her short cropped hair and need for a wedding dress. She out two and two together and quickly and started making calls. Ciastko said she helped Vega with everything from a veil to wedding shoes. She said she would the split the costs of wedding items with her sister-in-law Rachel Taylor and pulled money out of her own back account to help Vega.
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I was five months pregnant and up at five in the morning, said Ciastko. Ciastko said when she first found out, she was angry. I feel kind of betrayed, said Ciastko. Preparing for the wedding, Ciastko said Vega's claim of cancer was something she didn't hide. It wasn't the elephant in the room, said Ciastko. Even when she saw Vega drinking and partying at her wedding, she said she thought it was strange but didn't think much of it. Ciastko said she asked herself what she would do if she were dying. Wouldn't she want to enjoy her time left too? I just hope that the truth is found out, said Ciastko.
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The story Vega told in early 2010 was a heartbreaker. Then 23 years old, she claimed to be dying of acute myeloid leukemia. She said she wanted to marry Michael O'Connell, the father of her young daughter, before she died. Friends and strangers rushed to give Vega a beautiful wedding and honeymoon. A Times Herald-Record story about the couple led to more donations.
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According to the indictment, Vega accepted thousands of dollars in donated services and goods. The couple married in May 2010, followed by a honeymoon in Aruba. It all came apart four months later when O'Connell accused Vega of faking the illness and called the Times Herald-Record. Vega had offered a letter, purportedly from a Westchester doctor, as proof of her diagnosis, but the doctor's staff later denied seeing Vega. Along with the felonies, Vega faces a misdemeanor charge of possessing a forged instrument. O'Connell said the couple divorced over the incident, and he moved to Virginia to find work. On Monday, O'Connell said he later helped Vega join him in Virginia, hoping to help her turn her life around. They now have a second child, and O'Connell said the children need their mother. She's a good mom, and that's all that counts at the end of the day, O'Connell said. I want my kids to have their mother back. O'Connell was once Vega's biggest critic and cooperated with the attorney general's investigation. He still says his ex-wife should repay donors and apologize, but he said mental health treatment is a better option than jail. The maximum prison sentence for any of the felonies is 4 years. Vega was taken into custody on April 3 in Virginia and extradited to Orange County, where she was arraigned on Friday. She pleaded not guilty and was sent to Orange County Jail on $10,000 cash or $30,000 bond. She's due to appear on April 20 in front of Judge Robert Freehill. The state police assisted with the case. O'Connell said Vega was in good spirits when she spoke to him by phone from jail. He and his family are taking care of the kids in New York, and he's hiring an attorney for Vega. You know why? O'Connell asked, because it's the right thing to do.
2/5
4/11/12
dmurphy@th-record.com
Reporters Heather Yakin and James Nanin contributed to this story.
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Comments (15) Mark T. Larrabee
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This is just my opinion, but shouldnt this newspaper be also charged with some of these crimes? It was what they published in print, which led to more donations? This couple didnt go asking all these people for everything, the article in that newspaper that led to more donations. If not the newspaper, then it should be person who wrote the article, without checking his sources. I live in the Buffalo, NY area & we have a great cancer hospital here. They cant tell you stuff about their patients, but they can tell you if they are getting treatment. If I were to ask them if Jane Doewho claims to be a cancer patient dying with XYZyou can ask them if they are in a treatment program there? Im sure they would answer with a yes or no one by that name is registered in any of our treatment programs. By her doing what she did & the newspaper not checking their sources, they have made it look so bad for the poor souls who do have cancer & may have the dying wish. That is why I say there are more to be charged in this scam case. If there is to be any restitution in this case, the newspaper should be held for a percentage of it! 1 Hour Ago Reply
Michael
This is actually not that uncommon. I met someone who claimed to be dying of cancer. I was also stupid enough to get romantically involved with her and within 2 months we were pregnant. We did not take the proper precautions and she claimed that the doctors said it would be impossible for her to become pregnant. Well with a year I discovered she was lying. Which may sound unbelievable, but she was very good at faking it - making fake trips to the hospital and refusing to let me go. Now we have a child together and I have to support her as I am afraid she will take my child away from me. This is because she is from abroad and part of her visa condition is that she is my dependant. 11 Hours Ago Reply
John E
I remember the days when journalists had to check all their facts before a story would be printed in the paper. Why didn't the journalists who wrote this story check with her doctors prior to publishing the orignal story and where were the editors when all this happened? 13 Hours Ago Reply
Tricia
I have no idea what people think that "treatment" could do for this scam artist. Meanwhile, those who think she should get treatment instead of jail time should remember that the next time they or someone they know get scammed by a transient contractor looking to repave their driveway, a "telemarketer" who is raising funds for "local law enforcement", or any of the hundreds of other scams out there. This woman wanted something and lied to others to get it, that doesn't make her any different than the rest of the con artists who want to bilk your grandmother out of her life savings. Love likes this. 14 Hours Ago Reply
nmariong
Did this woman get 20million and then cover the lies with following her heart? Cheat and get caught, scam artist. Cheat and get away with it, smart business woman. 8 Hours Ago Reply
Tricia
A thief is a thief if they commit thievery, not if they get caught. It's not the "getting caught part" that makes them a criminal. It's the thievery that makes it so.
3/5
4/11/12
3 Hours Ago
Write reply here...
harrigan82
What a nice donor, but sorry this sad excuse for a person needs jail time for this. 16 Hours Ago Reply
harrigan82
this garbage happens all the time. There are fund raising sites all over the internet and you can just create your own "fundraiser" for whatever reason you wish AND the website controllers do not, do not, do not, monitor how the fundraiser money is spent. I've even sent complaints to some fundraising sites about monitoring or at least getting proof of receipts for whatever cause it may be. 16 Hours Ago Reply
James J Nani
Just got call from BBCWorldNews for interview on story of bride who allegedly duped people into thinking she had cancer http://bit.ly/Hy08wo 17 Hours Ago Reply
Love
You can bet this is not the first time this sociopath has scammed people, and stores out of goods and services. I can picture her purchasing an item from China~Mart using it while it suits her needs, and then returning it ( with complaints) so she can "get" something different. "What a self serving piece of crap!" I sure hope that they find her guilty on all counts. She knew exactly what she was doing, and had so many chances to stop the scam, and just laughed at all the " stupid " people who she deceived . 20 Hours Ago Reply
Klaus Flauten
She should have used that money for contacts and tattoo removal. 21 Hours Ago Reply
B
I am a patient that is under going treatment for AML. This woman really needs to be punished and psychological help. May community service helping in an infusion center where cancer patients receive chemotherapy. Then she can hear all of the stories of us and how cancer has forever changed our lives and the pain and suffering that goes along with it. I have no sympathy for this woman at all. Love likes this. Yesterday Reply
mountaindreamer1
My husband also suffers fro leukemia. I think you idea of community service at a cancer hospital is a wondeful idea! maybe a round or two of chemo just to see what it is like! 7 Hours Ago Reply
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Friends in bride scandal open up

'She wanted it so badly'
Walkill River House owner Lisa Stoker supplied flower s for the wedding of Jessica V ega, who allegedly feigned cancer to exploit other s' gener osity. CHET GORDON/Times Her ald-Recor d
Current Price:
By James Nani also by Doyle Murphy
Times Herald-Record Published: 2:00 AM - 04/11/12 Special Report: Bridal Scam GOSHEN They helped get her the wedding of her dreams. Now they just want her to get help. Touched by the story of Jessica Vega, more than a dozen people donated gifts, services and cash for her wedding to Michael O'Connell when she revealed she was diagnosed with terminal cancer. It wasn't until after the wedding that folks began to learn they were possibly victims of a hoax. Vega, formerly from Montgomery, is now facing charges she faked terminal cancer to score a dream wedding and honeymoon, the state attorney general announced on Monday. Vega's story has since gone viral, with news outlets across the globe calling the Times Herald-Record Tuesday for information and photos. Lisa Stoker of the Wallkill River House supplied flowers for the wedding. She said she feels no anger toward Vega. "I'm in no way saying she's guiltless, but sitting in jail isn't helping. She should get mental help, make restitution and apologize," said Stoker. An Orange County grand jury indicted Vega Monday on six felonies: five counts of grand larceny and one count of scheming to defraud. M ore 10% off any repair Laptop Shack New Customer special $99.00 per-season a/c tune up VanDuzer Plumbing and Heating 10% Off Jewelry Helen M orrell Boutique Buy Five Batting Tokens, Get One Free! 94 Pitch & Putt Free Back Up Sump Pump GLC Waterproofing Inc $50.00 OFF Foeller M en's Shop $10 off your Dine-in bill!
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The maximum prison sentence for any of the felonies is four years. Vega was taken into custody on April 3 in Virginia and extradited to Orange County, where she was arraigned on Friday. She's pleaded not guilty and is being held on $10,000 cash or $30,000 bond in Orange County Jail. The story has gone global. National and international television and wire news outlets have picked up the story. Stoker said the reason Vega allegedly lied about her diagnosis was to get Michael O'Connell, the father of their young daughter, to marry her. "She got caught in this snowball of a lie. At that point she didn't know how to get out of it. She wanted it so badly," said Stoker.
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Friends in bride scandal open up | recordonline.com
The couple have since divorced but were living together at the time of her arrest in Virginia. They now have two children together. Hamlet of Wallkill resident Keri Ciastko, 28, was one of those who helped get the charitable donations rolling for Vega. When Vega walked into Bella Couture back in 2010, Ciastko noticed her short-cropped hair and need for a wedding dress in a short time. She put two and two together and started making calls. She said she helped Vega with everything from picking out a veil to wedding shoes. She split the costs of wedding items with her sister-in-law Rachel Taylor and pulled money out of her own bank account to help Vega, even though she had a baby on the way. "I was five months pregnant and up at 5 in the morning," said Ciastko. Preparing for the wedding, Ciastko said Vega's claim of cancer was something she didn't avoid talking about. "It wasn't the elephant in the room," said Ciastko. Even when she saw Vega drinking and partying at her wedding, she said she thought it was strange but didn't think much of it. She asked herself what she would do if she were dying. Wouldn't she want to enjoy her time left, too? Taylor did the bridal party's hair and makeup and even loaned Vega her summer clothes for a trip to Aruba. Taylor was deploying to Iraq and would be gone all summer, but she wanted the clothes back eventually. It never happened. Vega denied she faked cancer, but eventually stopped answering her phone and dropped out of sight. There were the letters Vega said she was writing for her daughter as a way to give advice after she was gone. She also talked about wanting to write a diary during the supposedly small amount of time she had left. Taylor went to Barnes & Noble and bought her a beautiful leather journal. "That's the stuff that when I think back that either she deserves an Oscar beyond any actress I've seen in my life, or she needs mental health treatment," said Taylor. "I still stand by my position that someone who is in their right mind doesn't concoct a story like this," Taylor said. "I really hope she gets some sort of help."
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