Lana Rovang, Calgary cancer faker, gets 60-day jail sentence
Defence had asked for probation, while Crown was seeking 90 days plus probation for 3 years
A Calgary woman who faked having cancer and collected about $15,000 in money and services from fundraising has been found guilty of fraud and will serve a 60-day jail sentence on weekends.
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Crown prosecutorTom Buglas saidLana Rovang's actions were a crime against the community.
This type of crime "coarsens society ... it's a crime against society," he said.
Rovang's lawyer had asked for probation. The Crown was looking for a sentence of 90 days with a three-year probation term.
The owners of the daycare Rovang worked at at the time said it is children that are most affected byRovang's actions.
"The community that was affected is not a big corporation it is families and children,"Jennifer St-Germainsaid.
Calgary police chargedRovangwith fraud in January 2014, alleging sheobtained thousands of dollars by telling co-workers and friends that she had aheart condition andstage 4 breastcancer.
Rovang'sco-workers and employers heldfundraisersfor herand investigators estimated sheobtained about $15,000 in total donations from people who believed she was genuinelyill.
"She worked directly with these people's children. She earned the trust of these families and these children and she taught a generation of children to not be charitable and to doubt," St.-Germain said.
St-Germain said their business and personal lives have been impacted.
"We lost employees, we lost business, we lost friends."
A member of the public first contacted police about Rovang in July 2013and charges were laid following a lengthy investigation.
She wascharged with two counts of fraud over $5,000, one count of fraud under $5,000 and uttering a forged document.
Rovangisn't the only Calgary resident to be prosecuted for faking cancerin recent years.
In 2013,Kristopher Cook wassentenced to six months in jail and ordered to pay $7,500 to the Canadian Cancer Society after pleadingguilty to fraud and admitting hepretendedto havecancerin order to get money from friends.
Rovang, now 34-years-old,has three children. She has been in counselling since July 2014 and has saved $5,000 for restitution.
TheLeukemia&LymphomaSociety of Canada will get $15,000 fromRovang to be paid over several years.
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