Chandler, Arizona Man Accused of Serial Scamming and Faking of Terminal Illnesses

[Symmachus]

Shout-out to @Blunderbuss Firozabad for letting me know of this news item.

Quoted from fox10phoenix.com:

A Chandler man has been arrested after police say he faked a terminal illness in order to commit fraud while he was on pre-trial release for other crimes.

"The Scottsdale Police Department says 49-year-old Christopher Wade Nelson was arrested on July 29 following a seven-month-long investigation.

At the time of his arrest, Nelson was on pre-trial release for pending charges related to a 2016 case where he faked having pancreatic cancer in order to defraud his high school friends, police said.

Between May 2018 and May 2020, police say Nelson engaged in several fraudulent schemes in order to delay his pending criminal trial, as well as defund his victims of thousands of dollars:

• Nelson is accused of claiming to be diagnosed with ALS and utilizing a motorized wheelchair and walkers.
• Nelson allegedly forged documents from Mayo Clinic physicians in order to fake a terminal illness to avoid court appearances.
• Nelson used Instagram to ask the owner of a vehicle shop to fix his truck for free so he could take "one last ride," police said.
• Nelson also allegedly used Instagram to enlist the help of a physical therapist, ALS patients and their families for a $9,000 fundraiser in order to obtain a speech-generating device.

Nelson is being held in jail without bond. His wife was also arrested but has been released.

If you believe you were defrauded by Nelson, police are asking you to call them at 480-312-8141."

2017 mugshot:

Picture courtesy of azcentral.com

2020 mugshot:

Picture courtesy of azcentral.com

Chandler man arrested, accused of fraud and faking terminal illness

At the time of his arrest, Nelson was on pre-trial release for pending charges related to a 2016 case where he faked having pancreatic cancer in order to defraud his high school friends, police said

www.fox10phoenix.com

 

[Keepalowprofile]

Never say pancreatic cancer if you are scamming.
When you dont die, people get suspicious.

Say prostrate because you can recover from that. Men wont ask questions because it makes them uncomfortable and women wont ask because it taboo.

All that said, this guy is a jerk and i hope he gets cancer. So he will know what its like.

 

[Sejanus]

Oh look how well he recovered!

Inject him full of terminal illnesses.

 

[Blunderbuss Firozabad]

Soooo Much EFFORT!! AND TIME AND KEEPING YOUR STORY STRAIGHT!!
Oh well, I guess that's the direction you go if you're a pity whore.
Helps smooth the conscience while you are defrauding and hustling your friends I suppose..

 

[Muriel Schwenck]

I didn't find anything new on this con artist but did find details on his cancer scam:

Scottsdale man accused of cancer fraud also faked own death, police say

Scottsdale PD arrested a man Dec. 7 on suspicion of theft by misrepresentation, identity theft and fraudulent schemes after a yearlong investigation.

www.azcentral.com

.[...]
Police say a 46-year-old man faked a cancer diagnosis and maintained an elaborate scheme for five years to con friends and strangers out of $30,000, according to court records.

And after the facade began to unravel in 2014, records show, Christopher Wade Nelson faked his own death.

Scottsdale police arrested Nelson on Dec. 7 on suspicion of theft by misrepresentation, identity theft and fraudulent schemes after a yearlong investigation.

[...]

Fake email accounts alleged
Former classmates and friends recalled reconnecting with Nelson in 2010 and 2011 on Facebook, where he told people he was diagnosed with cancer and couldn't pay his medical bills, records show. So they collected money to help Nelson.

Police say he used the identities of various relatives to create fake email accounts to solicit fundraisers on his behalf from 2010 to 2015 and provide "treatment" updates, according to the records. He also used the emails to keep tabs on what people were saying about him in email message groups, police said.


In April 2011, former high school friends coordinated a fundraising party for Nelson. After that, police said, Nelson sent out emails in which he purported to be his aunt organizing fundraising parties every month in Scottsdale for roughly two years, records show.

More than 40 people donated over $15,000 in cash or checks to Nelson at those fundraisers. There was also additional fundraising done through T-shirt sales on Nelson's behalf that yielded more than $15,000, according to court records.

In another instance, Nelson asked a friend to drive him to Scottsdale's Virginia Piper Cancer Treatment Center and for $2,300 to pay for that day's "treatment." He also asked her to pay for his lunch, records show.

Suspicions about the cancer diagnosis first surfaced in 2014. Police say Nelson produced diagnostic images to defend himself when confronted.

He was facing prison time on an unrelated charge in 2015. In the face of "pressure" from investigators, the records said, Nelson sent the group an email from another fake account, claiming that Nelson had killed himself.
[...]

Records from the Arizona Department of Corrections show Nelson was convicted of criminal impersonation in 2016 and spent about six months in prison. He was released in March 2017.
[...]

 

[Blizzard]

He should be given everything he faked.

especially the death one.

Scammers/thieves aren't worth even a cow shit. Because a cow shit requires less energy to render fit as fertilizer.

 

[Busy Bee]

Just seems like it would just be a lot easier to work instead of all of the scams, sneaking about. Keeping Appearances