SAN DIEGO — One notice submitted to the federal decide sentencing a 38-year-old California lady for embezzlement claimed that a biopsy had revealed “cancerous cells” in her uterus. One other indicated that she was present process a surgical process, and her most cancers had unfold to the cervix. Yet one more letter warned she “can't be uncovered to COVID-19” due to her fragile state.
However federal officers say the notes and most cancers have been all pretend, and now Ashleigh Lynn Chavez is headed to jail for 3 times as lengthy. The court docket this week added a further two years to her preliminary, one-year jail sentence.
The pretend declare of getting most cancers stored Chavez out on bond from the time of her responsible plea in 2019 to embezzling greater than $160,000 from her former employer by way of her sentencing listening to on March 31, 2021. The notes then purchased her a further three months of freedom by the decide who believed she was getting medical remedy, in line with the U.S. Lawyer’s workplace for the Southern District of California.
All instructed, Chavez was in a position to keep away from being locked up for six months, federal officers mentioned.
Chavez’s legal professional, Benjamin Kington, mentioned in a sentencing memorandum that Chavez was “terrified” about being separated from her new child son, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported.
The notes additionally claimed she was too sick to work and couldn't make restitution funds to her former employer.
Two completely different attorneys employed by Chavez believed the notes have been genuine and submitted them to the court docket, in line with federal officers.
By August 2021, the notes solid by Chavez have been asking the court docket to allow her to serve time in dwelling confinement. In a single solid notice, attributed to a San Diego-area oncologist, Chavez wrote that “(a) yr in jail could possibly be a demise sentence for my affected person.”
Federal authorities contacted the medical doctors named within the letters who denied writing them, although Chavez had been a affected person of one of many physicians, in line with federal officers.
“This defendant went to appalling lengths to keep away from her preliminary jail sentence by falsifying medical paperwork to assert she had most cancers. This offensive conduct is an affront to each particular person combating that battle,” FBI Particular Agent in Cost Stacey Moy mentioned in a press release.