Bond set at $50k for woman accused in cancer scam

CHARLESTON, SC (WCSC) - Bond was set at $50,000 for a 41-year-old woman accused of lying to her friend about having cancer and conning her out of thousands of dollars for fake treatment.

The Charleston Police Department arrested Brandi Michelle Reeves of Charleston. Reeves surrendered at the home of the victim who then called police Thursday morning. Reeves was wanted for obtaining goods by false pretense.

The 64-year-old victim told police that a close friend, Reeves, was having a difficult time and moved in with the victim at her home on Beverly Road last September.

A short time after moving in, Reeves told the victim that she was diagnosed with cancer and asked the victim for help paying her treatments because she did not have any insurance.

A police report states that Reeves said that she was receiving treatment from the Hollings Cancer Center three times a week with each treatment costing $1,100.

According to investigators, Reeves told the victim that the checks had to be written out to her so that she could deposit it in her account and then she would write a check out to the center. The victim said she gave Reeves more than $50,000.

"I feel so duped because everybody who knows this, my attorney said immediately this is a scam," the victim told Judge Linda Lombard at Reeve's bond hearing Thursday afternoon. "My sister said, are you nuts? She really thinks I need to go to a hospital because I was so duped."

After several months of providing assistance, the victim grew concerned about her own finances and sought advice. The victim was advised to seek legal advise and contacted a lawyer with a private investigator being hired to assist in the case.

The investigator told the victim that Reeves did not attend any cancer treatments and had never been seen at the Hollings Cancer Center. On June 25, the victim along with the investigator confronted Reeves. When Reeves was asked if she had cancer and had received treatment, Reeves shook her head no.

The victim said Reeves apologized and told them that she was going to use the money to start an Internet business so that she could take care of the victim.

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