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Sonya Luker Pleads In Cancer Scam Case, Faces Up To 5 Years In Prison
March 8, 2012
Sonja Luker entered a no contest plea Wednesday to a fraud charge for faking a cancer diagnosis for financial gain.
Luker pleaded no contest to a felony fraud charge; a previous grand theft charge against her was dropped in May 2011. She faces up to five years in prison when she is sentenced on May 10, according to the State Attorney’s Office. Luker will remain free from jail on bond.
Charges were dropped against her husband, Gerald “Chris” Luker after he made restitution to each identifiable victim and made a donation to the American Cancer Society.
“The evidence indicated that he believed that his wife had cancer,” Assistant State Attorney Greg Marcille said last month, “and that he was not criminally involved.”
According to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, numerous fundraisers were held between May 2004 and October 2010 that raised over $19,000. Sheriff’s investigators found that about $14,000 was used in 2009 to avoid foreclosure on their home in the 4700 block of Pine Circle Drive and about $4,000 in cash was used by Chris Luker to purchase a 1997 Harley motorcycle, according to an arrest report.
Chris Luker provided the funds to make restitution to those that donated to the “Sonja Luker Kickin Cancer Fund” and checks were mailed to victims in February. Victims that made donations by check received the full amount of the original donation.
By tracing bank deposits, prosecutors found $8,506.81 in donations that were made in cash by unknown donors to Sonja Luker. Chris Luker agreed to make an equal donation of $8,506.81 to the American Cancer Society “with the intent of the original donors to support the cure for cancer,” according to a letter that known victims received from the State Attorney’s Office.
Under the plea agreement, Chris Luker will be unable to claim a tax deduction for his donation to the American Cancer Society.
Pictured top: Sonja and Chris Luker (in black shirts) are seen in a 2009 NorthEscambia.com photo from a motorcycle ride fundraiser that benefited her alleged fight against cancer. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Comments
40 Responses to “Sonya Luker Pleads In Cancer Scam Case, Faces Up To 5 Years In Prison”
She will walk because she does not have a criminal record. Now thats a shame.
Sadly…Thanks to our laws and politicians..Crime in some cases does pay…And the criminals just walk away..
Very sad all around….
Thats not fair she get all the blame.if someone has cancer your family would know it.he didnt care except for a new harley.he should get 5 years to.
I’m still waiting for my $20.00 from Chris
Melissa ,Shame on me for what ? I have had cancer and have lost loved ones from cancer .I do not like what she did -I do not know her -I also give to a lot of charities .My husband and I are hard workers and do not take from anyone and are very honest people.When I was a single mother of two -I went to work to raise my children and asked nothing of anyone (family,government ,friends,etc)and it was very hard .I am not condoning what they did ..BUT the most important to judge her is GOD.I do not attend church regularly -I DO BELIEVE IN GOD ! I do believe in what goes around comes around,and I do believe in Karma ..Look at the preachers that have been in trouble before Jim Baker,Jimmy Swaggart,etc.They were forgiven and life went on .It is a shame that friends and family gave a lot to her for this untruth-but she has to face the consequences ,no one else.Please know I DO NOT CONDONE her actions .
To someone concerned;
So I spelled her name wrong, and you spelled bet wrong. So this discredits the truth behind the message? I think not, and if you want to spell my name out, spell away. Its not going to change the cold hard facts no matter how much you defend her!
To “AN” in regard to the church helping out -
Ms. Luker and her husband did not attend the church I am referring too. She gained this assistance from OUR church by the community events that she came into contact with the church members and so forth.
My point in my post was that she tarnished the effort made to help good, deserving people. She is a fraud, pure and simple. Others are not and her efforts have made it more difficult for them to gain help since obviously the churches in the area will now have an example of why they need to check up on a person, rather than simply take them at their word. Burn me once, shame on you, burn me twice, shame on me.
Chris DID know she was faking it! Let’s put it this way, if he did NOT know she was faking it, and truly believed she had cancer, WHY ON EARTH would he buy a motorcycle with part of those funds instead of paying medical bills? And why would they put money on the mortgage instead of toward medical bills? He is just as disgusting as her!
i have known these people for years and all this has hit me over the head like a brick.
i still love them but do not understand any of this.
i have seen Sonja cry in pain with headaches and nauseated.
and to be honest look like sh—-.
but i’m not the one to judge.
STILL DUMBFOUNDED.
NoExcuses~~
I just want to clear up a few things for everyone.The church they were attending did not help them with anything financially. Members helped as friends but the church as a organization, I’m pretty sure did not. There is a committee that handles these sort of things and it is and has always been with who ever asking showing proof of their need. The preacher nor his wife are on this committee so Sonja’s friendship with them made no difference. This church and its leaders take seriously the responsibility of being good stewards with the money God has intrusted them with.
To Someone Concerned:
See how easy it is to hit the wrong key on the keyboard? I”m glad no one corrects me every time I hit the wrong key.
That couple would probably do well in Vegas as they can lie and make you believe it
Debbie, cast the first stone that is crap! Me and my husband donate to causes when we dont have it to do so. We both will give to anyone in need, We are not shoppers we are both from families that struggled to put food on the table. As long as we got the basic needs we dont need anything else. But when we give the extra(we both work hard)it damn sure be for a good cause. Because of this maybe I will not support a cause thinking its a fraud. Hey well that just makes room for a new pair of shoes. This is heartbreaking to me, I have lost my papa from cancer and THEY not she took money from someone that was in need. Shame on them and you.
OK…the bottom line is this….It is time for Christians to learn how to discern people who are not genuine. I witnessed this couple and it did not take a rocket scientist to know there was something not right about their story. The people they were associated with and those they seem to target. None of this is a shock. Jesus said in Matt 10:16 to be Wise as serpents, harmless as doves….
He definately knew she did NOT have cancer, my husband is currently in remission from cancer and we never seen one cent of help from anyone and we NEEDED it, we have 3 children and I was the only one working and it was VERY hard for him and I to afford the trips to pcola daily almost and then the meds ect and we had NO support, NO help and then you have people like this that can make up stories and get something for nothing. Makes me sick.
5 years isn’t enough for either one of them. They are lying dirtbags that deserve more.
They lied to family and friends for personal gain. Lied to their community and lied to their church. Mr. Luker would never had paid back anything if his lawyer didnt tell him
it would help him get off. His deal admits guilt to me!
God is the judge and he is who she will answer to in the end.I know this was a horrible thing she did ,but those without sin cast the first stone.Let God be her judge .No one else !
@someone concerned—- did you mean to spell and/or say bet in place of the “beat”?
This is sad but y’all can’t say the husband knew. I know for a fact Hey daughter believed Sonja had cancer. I personally witnessed her daughter in tears BC she thought her mother had cancer. I’m not defending What Sonja did but we are not the ones to say who knew What BC truly only Sonja and God know the truth.
I would hope they just move out of the area..How could either of them stay here???? They are the lowest of lows & Ive thought I’ve been around for awhile!
To Shamed Family Member:
I 100% AGREE WITH YOU! What she did is vile and beyond comprehension. I would NEVER talk to a family member who did such a thing.
I hate that you had to go through something like this but please know that all of the normal people in this community feel exactly like you do.
What is really sad is that the churches and other organizations that were praying for her and were fundraising for her have really been affected by this. What now? If you want help from our church, you’ll have to provide ironclad proof that you have cancer or whatever you may have to get help? All this because this lady ingratiated herself with our pastor’s wife and led us down the path to defrauding the church of quite a bit of money. That’s what I hate about it. I can forgive a person for wrongdoing, but it’s hard to overlook how it affects those who are truely deserving of help. Our church moves forward with much more caution now.
To Shamed Family Member,
I have my facts straight and NO I am not a family member. I have been a good friend to them for a long time. You must not know them very well because you spelled her name wrong! But I beat I could spell yours right!
She is sick? Oh please, she’s played that card enough through the years. She’s not mentally ill, she’s a liar like she has always been. She has watched plenty of our (and I use that word loosely) family members die from cancer. Judy Gibson, Joe Gibson, and Marilyon Knight just to name the most recent ones. Did that stop her? Not at all. She “caringly” gave them cancer advice, since she had it too!
Now you should understand why the family has turned their backs on them.
To someone concerned;
According to the “Escambia County Sheriff’s Office” It WAS proven (read the public records) that Chris did use part of the funds to purchase the Harley. I can only guess you would defend these 2 because you are immediate family (mother, son , daughter, step dad) because noone else in this family will defend them. This is beyond horrible and evil!!
I would LOVE to be sitting in that courtroom when they hopefully (but doubtfully) hand down a jail sentence to her! But I’ll be working, I don’t get to sit at home and steal money from innocent, caring people-unlike Sonya I work for a living to earn my money. SHE IS DISGUSTING!!!
Nice…….the hubby gets off scott free.
And the wife with no cancer might get five years.
Which is code for 3 years probation.
No fines either, no doubt.
Does anyone know who the judge is?
“Second of all the husband did NOT plea out” – someone concerned
“Under the plea agreement, Chris Luker will be unable to claim a tax deduction for his donation” – from the article
Someone’s incorrect.
Karma has a way at getting back at you, Huh?
Now you may hopefully spend some time in jail/prison
And now you may just miss out on the birth of your first
Grandbaby. All for what?? I really do hate all this, but you did it
To yourself.
There is no way she’ll see five years. Better than odds chance she is looking at probation.
I would not want her taking care of my loved ones or friends with cancer. What would she do to them, if she would do what she did to her friends and family! A lot of cancer patients are defenseless and could not fend for themselves. I say give her the time in jail!
If it was a one time thing of getting money, you could understand it a little better, but they had several events that were planned and I too believe he knew that she didn’t have cancer or he just didn’t follow up on any of her “treatments”. My husband loves me enough that he would have been with me every time he could to give me support. Or maybe he just didn’t care enough to go with her. To make your family and friends think you have cance when you don’t is a very sick thing to do and she owes the community, family and friends a lot and not just money.
Since it is her first offense she may not get jail time.
Instead, maybe community service for those five years on cancer wards and in cancer clinics working directly with patients who are and have suffered cancer in all it’s many forms would be more appropriate. We have West Florida, Baptist, and Sacred Heart Hospitals, all with cancer centers, right here, needing people to help. She would see, first hand, what cancer patients and their families go through, maybe providing her with the opportunity to make the mental, physical and spiritual journey she needs to atone for her actions.
5 years isn’t even close to what I would give her if I was the judge , It takes a very SORRY person to do this, Fill the court room with REAL PEOPLE with REAL CANCER , She is basically laughing at the people that do have CANCER,I DO BELIEVE IN KARMA !!!!!
I wonder if she will be sentenced in open court? Having three to many people in my life fighting cancer right now, I would like to sit in that court room with a sign pleading for justice to be carried out fully.
It seems to me that facts aren’t straight on this story. First of all there was NO motorcycle bought with any money and that has been proven. Second of all the husband did NOT plea out, all his charges were dropped after the money was paid.Third there has NOT been 5 years prison time offered to her. She did do this but she is a very sick young lady getting the help she needs now. I stand by these two and always will. People talking trash on here need to get a life!!!
It’s her first offense I doubt she spends any time in a state facility! I just hope she has learned her lesson in all of this and in the end KARMA always wins!
u cant tell me he didnt know. even if he says he thought she had cancer then it makes his situation worse because he used donated money for personal gain. so charges shouldnt have been dropped
Five years is not long enough, but at least its something. Anything can happen in five years, and its those events she will live with the rest of her life. May 10th is to far off she should be sentenced sooner.
Distance makes the heart grow fonder, then there is always Costa Rica.
I hope she gets five years. He knew she didn’t have cancer.