Former High School Principal Gets Five Years In Prison For Faking Cancer & Defrauding Donors

A California woman will spend the next five years in prison after faking a cancer diagnosis and scamming generous donors out of over $100,000.

San Jose resident Amanda Christine Riley kicked off her disgusting scheme in 2012 when she lied about having Hodgkin’s lymphoma, an aggressive form of cancer that attacks the body’s lymphatic system. The 37-year-old even documented her “journey” online in a blog titled “Lymphoma Can Suck It.” Riley shaved her head and told her family that she was suffering from the disease. To keep the fraud going, Riley produced fake medical records and doctor’s notes and listed hospitals, such as Johns Hopkins, as facilities where she received treatments.

Riley claimed she needed money for cancer treatments and hosted online and in-person fundraisers. She raised $105,513, though none of the funds went towards any type of medical treatment. Instead, the former school principal deposited the money into her personal bank account.

The married mother of two continued with her scam until 2020 when the IRS charged her with one count of wire fraud. She pleaded guilty last fall. Riley lost her job as principal at Pac Point Christina Academy in Gilroy when her devious plot was unveiled. Her attorney, Jodi Linker, argued that the woman should only spend five years incarcerated. Her loved ones, including her father, also came to her defense.

“We still see the light in her and have seen the Hell she has been through that we wouldn’t wish on anyone,” he stated in a letter to the judge.

In addition to her five-year sentence, Amanda Christine Riley must pay restitution to the victims and remain under supervision for three years after being released from prison.