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Sonja Luker Receives Jail Time In Molino Cancer Scam Case
May 10, 2012
A Molino woman has been sentenced to almost a year in jail for making up a cancer diagnosis for financial gain.
Sonja Luker was sentenced by Judge Joel Boles Thursday morning to 364 days in jail to be followed by 18 months probation and 200 hours of community service. She will not be allowed to perform her community service in a hospital or raising funds for any medical issue.
She was taken into custody immediately after the sentence was handed down.
Back in March, Luker pleaded no contest to a felony fraud charge; a previous grand theft charge against her was dropped in May 2011.
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 inset: Sonja Luker’s mugshot after she was booked into the Escambia County Jail Thursday. 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 photo, click to enlarge.
Comments
63 Responses to “Sonja Luker Receives Jail Time In Molino Cancer Scam Case”
Well Mr. Crenshaw I agree understanding why people do the things they do is important. BUT sometimes we have to acept that there are some people who simply do bad things for bad reasons. As far as Chris is concerned he either knew what was going on and LET his wife scam an entire community or he was the worst husband in history. In the 7 yrs she was “fighting” cancer he NEVER went to an appointment? He never set through chemo with her? Never picked up prescriptions for her? Really?? Wonder which it was? I agree Sonja is sick. I think everyone would agree that ALL people who choose to commit crimes are not thinking correctly. Serial killers are sick too but they still have to pay for their crimes. No matter how we feel about any of this the basic facts are she broke the law, therefore she must be punished for it.
So what u are saying is its ok to lie to your family and friends for over 10 years.
When you Judge someone else make sure you are Perfect. I have been friends with Chris for over 16 years & I know with all my heart he would not ever ever take anyhthing that did not belong to him. He has always took care of his family & worked as hard as he could to provide for the ones he loved & others. His wife did not do this act to take advantage of anyone! She is a great Mom & Friend to her kids & others. If you study why people do the things they do it is written that such actions can be caused by a life that we all do not understand. The judgement in the “Lukers” case was policial. Sitting in jail does not help Mrs. Luker or anyone. May God use his power to make this situation right & send Mrs. Luker home to her family where she belongs! God Bless!!!!
Well I do agree that Sonja n Chris should apologize to the people they have taken from & hurt. But if that day ever comes will people really forgive them? I hope they can.
It is good that Sonja has family around to love and support her through all of this. However, People have a right to feel angry, hurt and/or deceived by what Sonja has done as she, and anyone else who may have known about this farce, has taken advantage of the kind-hearted nature of friends, family and strangers alike. I find two things very interesting in reading about this case and comments made on this website and other places on the internet. I normally do not comment on these issues but my second point has made me feel somewhat angry.
1. The couple’s friends and family are insisting that people do not understand what Sonja has been through and that people should forgive her “just as God would forgive her”. However, these same people are shouting hate toward the people who have supported this family for many years only to find out that they had been lied to and deceived. It would appear that she has yet to apologise to individuals or the community as a whole for her actions, lies and deceit. Therefore, she nor her family appear to understand the damage that has been done to others over the years. How can you be granted forgiveness by anyone unless you ask for it and show a willingness to change?
2. The Kicking Cancer Facebook page is still active. Not only is the page still active, but the facebook page of Sonja-Chris Luker “liked” that page only yesterday! To me this would indicate that they are still failing to accept responsibility for their actions and accept the consequences, both criminal and personal!!
I look at the picture at the top of the page and see the smile on her face. I can’t help but to wonder if she was thinking “Look at what all my lies has paid for”. A person has to be completely heartless to take the money from others for her own financial gain when there are so many people really suffering from cancer. She looks completely different in the two pictures above. The mugshot shows no remorse. It shows anger. Probably angry at herself, not for lying and deceiving all the wonderful people who just tried to help, but angry at herself for getting caught. I don’t for one second believe that her husband knew NOTHING about all her lies. How can a husband not go to ONE doctor appointment? I don’t believe it at all. If he did know about it, karma will come to him as well. If he did know, he is just as guilty as she is. I would never wish this upon anyone, but one day, one of them will be sick and need financial help and NO ONE will help nor believe them and they will regret what she or they did once and for all. I pray that no one suffers from this horrible disease, but karma has its own way of coming back on people. For God to forgive her, she will have to forgive herself…how can she do that when she has yet to admit she has done anything wrong!!
Sonja n family, i hope you have realized by now what you have done. I have several family members going thru cancer right now. I watched my dad suffer for 11 months with cancer before it took him from his family. Today is the anniversary of his death and on his behalf and everyone who has been touched by this disease i felt i had to get my 2 cents in. My dad was 6′2 and 210 lbs and when you watch someone you love go from that to a little over 100 lbs its almost more than you can handle. My brother n law is a cancer survivor also. My vety good friend is going thru cancer now and my granddaughters mom has had cancer for a year n a half now having to have a complete hysterectomy at age 21 and my granddaughter has to be checked every so many months and she is only 19 months old, so how dare all of you make a mockery out of this devastating disease. People can forgive but forgetting is another story. I hate to say that i was real close to your family at one time and i will have to be forgiven for the feelings i have for you and yours right now.
Well, I know Sonja and Chris very well. To me, like others have said, they have shown NO remorse. They are only sad that they got caught. Heck, if they didn’t get caught, Sonja would probably be announcing this year that the cancer was back and she needed another fundraiser to collect some loot!! She would have to shave her head again and Chris would have to put on his “Livestrong” Tshirt and ride around on his Harley that everyone else paid for. Chris had to have known she didn’t have cancer. He has always catered to her and I know he would have been at treatments with her. Anyway, I am THRILLED that she can sit in the jail for 364 days and think about what she has done. You never know, she may decide to apologize to all the people she has swindled and hurt. That would be something!! I hope she can handle the 200 hours of community service……she has never worked a day in her life.
GOD is always in control. Yes HE allows bad things to happen, but not so that evil will win. We do not know why HE chooses things to happen. But we do have Faith knowing that GOD will always prevail in the end.
No matter how wrong, people or things happen to us. There is always a reason for it. In GOD We Trust !! Right?
Sonja knew exactly what she was doing and I believe Chris knew too. Maybe sitting in jail will make her think about what she has done and how it hurt so many people in the community that wanted nothing but to help her and her family. She should be ashamed of herself but I have come to believe she doesn’t even know what that means. And Tammy you are wrong she does have to ask the people who she wronged to forgive her for what she has done.
Being forced to work around actual cancer patients would do nothing for this apparently heartless criminal and would likely put vulnerable people in harms way by being exposed to her. Cancer patients deserve far better. Personally, I’m a big fan of natural consequences. I have a feeling this will catch up to both guilty parties in ways no one can currently foresee. That’s usually the way it happens!
He should have to sell that motorcycle.
In 1994 was diagnosed with breast cancer, had to have a radical left breast mastecomy. I hurt so bad physically, mentally and emotionally it is undescribable. Then came the chemo, would be bedridden with weakness and nausea for days on end. Didn’t want to eat, couldn’t get out of bed except to throw up. Then came the 30 trips to Pensacola for radiation treatments. Everyday for for 30 days straight, all the way to Pensacola and back. Then in 2000 diagnosed with Bone cancer. Every day for 18 days back to Pensacola for radiation treatments after being told I only had 5 years to live. I praise God for healing. The radiation treatments were done in the scull area and made my brain swell which caused migrains so bad that they made me throw up so hard that it exploded the blood vessels in my eyes and people thought I was being physically abused. I still have to go every 3 months to amy oncologist and have blood test and bone scans and pet scans and on and on and on. Cancer is NOT something to use to make money or get attention. God can and would forgive these people for what they have done, but cancer AIN’T funny, I know I been fighting it for 18 years and only by the Wonderful Grace of God Almighty I AM a Survivor.
I bet my paycheck that if these two were to get up in front of this community admit what they did wrong and at least offer a “i am sorry” and attempt to right their wrong this community would accept that and no one would have to take up for them. That’s how i feel about the north end of Escambia County there is a lot of good folks here that would feed the hungry and cloth the naked and never ask for anything in return.But instead they want to play games and try to wiggle out of it,and that angers folks,rightfully so. These two are sorry,sorry they got caught.Now lets say a prayer for all those folks that gave and hope the next time one of us need help their still willingly.
Tammy you can’t excuse it away by calling what they did a mistake. That was no mistake. That was a full on “on purpose”!!!
I know things happen to good people.no matter what the world says ! we all make mistakes in this life. lord knows I’ve made many. some people can’t forgive but thank god in heaven we don’t have to be forgiving by people!! just by god and his love covers all.
Well good for what little time she does get cause I really felt like her “mental Illness” would get her nothing! Yes, she says that she has some sort of mental illness that makes you absolutely believe you have a terminal illness! So, well, maybe she didn’t take the money that was raised and the pity parties that were given out of being a liar. Her parents have told many that to this day, she still thinks she has cancer!
I completely understand forgiving someone for that is truly what we should do. I personally would like to hear from Mrs. Luker herself her rationale for using a disease that destroys so many lives and families as a means for her own financial gain. What I TRULY pray for is that she NEVER has to experience the feeling of hearing “that” word come out of her doctor’s mouth. I was not that lucky years ago and although I feel more fortunate than some who have lost their lives, my disease took away my ability to have children. Cancer doesn’t just hurt people through death, it causes so very much pain to those of us still living. I hope you one day understand why people are so devastated and hurt by what you have done??? I pray for you!
I was participating in Relay for Life a couple of weeks ago and thought of Sonja. i saw so many people who have been fighting for their lives for years and many family members who lost their loved ones to cancer. it was really sad for me to see up close how damaging cancer is for so many. My thought of Sonja was how fitting it would be for her to have to stand among cancer survivors and cancer patients with a sign stating what she did. it would certainly be a hard thing for her to have to do but, very fitting.
If you want to be left alone don’t do something so horrible. Its called personal responsibilty, to those of you defending her go and look at a REAL cancer victim and tell them that. This is one of the worst things I have heard and thus she is paying for it, thats the way it works. Forgiveness can be given, but it says nothing about forgetting. I for one will remember because of the loved ones who have or have died from this horrible disease.
Karma will taken care of her on earth
God will take care of her at her judgement
Awwww….. she looks like she is upset about going to jail. Like she is mad at the world for something SHE did.
well, she got a small amount of jail time, maybe now she will actually get cancer… but will anyone believe her if this was to happen or will it be like the boy who cried wolf… I have lost too many love ones to cancer and the pain they endure is not make believe, maybe one day she will feel the pain that cancer brings. rot in jail scam artist.
What a bright note for someone who spent a dark day at M. D. Anderson for real
Perhaps a several hot days cleaning around graves of people who actually had cancer and lost their battles would be fitting community service.
So much for being family. She lied or they lie.d for close to ten years takeing money from hard working folks. I just can not believe the people that are defending her. She watched 2 aunts and a uncle die from cancer and still had no heart so I say she deserved more.I hope she got the benefit from all of this she wanted.
.
THIS IS NOT JUSTICE. WHAT IS WRONG WITH OUR COURT SYSTEM. YOU CAN PUT A PERSON IN PRISON FOR 5 YEARS FOR HABITUALLY DRIVING ON ASUSPENDED LICENSE. OR ME WHO WENT TO PRISON FOR A TOTAL OF FOR YEARS OVER A FEW CRIMINAL MISCHIEFS. LAWS IN THERE EARLY TIMES WERE BASED ON THE HARM FACTOR. IF IT DIDNT HURT ANYONE U DIDNT GO TO COURT. BASICALLY TOSAY. WHAT THIS LADY DID HARMED MANY PEOPLE DEPRIVED PEOPLE OF THEIR HARD EARNED MONEY. 364 DAYS IN JAIL. ITS ABSURD AND UNACCEPTABLE IM SO ASHAMED TO EVEN SAY I PAID TAXES IN FLORIDA.
I find it ironic that Sonja’s family members are bashing the ones who are just being honest about her lying. WHY are you making her seem like the victim? She was found guilty, end of story.
It is a terrible thing they did, especially with their posters about God at the Thanksgiving service. Things like that cause some to think that all
“Christians” are hypocrites, but that is not so. It is even more hurtful to The Truth that many of those who claim to be “Christians,” had rather see someone punished than to see them forgiven and changed. Of course there should be restitution and a penalty, but all this hate is as ugly or more ugly than what they did. I pray they change and find some support from people who have been forgiven, and really know The One who paid such a great price for that forgiveness. That could never be repaid, but we could at least obey what He asks of us. We will all answer to Him one day soon. What will we say then?
i’m not shocked and i’m not surprised….yes sonja and chris has hurt MANY people with all this….many people that has kids,that REALLY loved them…i honestly have forgiven them simplily cause my children don’t kno anything but these 2 people REALLY love them and showed it and they are aware that people do wrong and there’s a thing called forgiveness…sonja and chris had always been there for me and my kids in so many ways…that these 2 people derserve to be forgiven…in gods eyes,we make mistake thats why it’s called “mistakes”….i do hope you guys that REALLY kno this couple find it in you’re heart to at least forgive cause it’s going to eat you up.
Everyone has their own opinion. Whether you know them or not, what they did was wrong. period, no questions asked. Let them continue to think they did nothing wrong cause God don’t like ugly and what goes around comes around. So all the innocent people they hurt, stole from and lied to…you just sit back cause it will come back to them ten fold. i personally do not think 364 days in jail is anywhere near what she deserves but that is the judicial system for ya!!! i believe in Karma.
I had stage 3 melanoma cancer. It is nothing to joke about,
God will forgive you and eventually people will forgive you but you need to think about what you have done and spend the rest of your life trying to make up four your mistake.alot of people have been hurt.
U may not b a bad person but u made a BAD DECISION! !!!!!!!!!!
Be strong, Chris and Sonja. This is just a bump in the road of life. Your faith will carry you through this and whatever is to come. I love you both and six months or so from now should be a great time for a celebration dinner at my house and another bonfire! We’ll plan it around a visit from the Texans!
Kendra, your her sister, and I would expect you to say
What you said. But she has said worse then this about
You in the past. I for one am HAPPY she got the amount
Of time she did. All I asked for was for her to suffer just
A fraction of what people that really do have cancer do.
I don’t think that would have happend with her sitting up
In the house, hiding.
Now she will miss the birth of her first grandchild, and I
Know that will hurt. The one thing I regret, is that her husband
Chris is not going to jail with her.
she lied about having cancer…she tricked people out of their hard earned money…and now she is going to jail for a year. People make wrong choices everyday, granted some are worse than others. I think this particular case hits home with a lot of people because of the nature of the crime. I also think she deserves a second chance. When her sentence is up, I think a lot of people need to find it their hearts to forgive her. We need to examine our hearts along with her and welcome her back into society. No one deserves to be shunned. Especially when we don’t know the whole situation or know what she has personally been through. I am in no way saying what she did wasn’t wrong, I just think there are a lot of people who commit crimes and should be given a second chance at life.
Forgivness~ First David did have to pay for his sins. Second your right they did do a lot of good things but sadly they did them for selfish reasons. They coached t-ball only to steal from the children they coached. Sure Sonja voluntered at the local elementary school only to decive those kids as well. Yes she helped with Relay for Life only to take money from the same people who cheered for her during her “Survivor” lap. Its bad enough what she did to the adults but to deceive the kids like she did . . . She did more then just committ sins she also broke the law.
She should have to spend more than 364 days in jail. Look at the family and friends she has hurt. Both her and Chris and her parents dont think they have done anything wrong. Both of the should be in jail longer than 5 years.
Everyone that truly knows sonja & chris loves them. Everyone that dont know them or think they know them needs to look in their mirror…leave this family alone! I know in this small town its hard for everyone to find something to talk about. Unconditional love is rare when the gossip is taught like its the gospel. Her sins are forgiven by God. She dont need no one eleses.
BamaBoy,
Well said!!!!
She sould have to do her community service working with real cancer patients and let her see what it is really like to fight for your life! I am sorry I have no pity for a liar and thief!!
Well, at least some time will be spent in jail. I have had family members with cancer and I certainly would not want her community service time spent with my family. Now that this is over, hopefully, we can all find peace with it and move on. She certainly isn’t worth wasting anymore of our time and WIlliams in reporting on her.
Repentance is admitting you never had cancer! She has not done that. SO Fruit Test # 1 she is still lying. She lied all the way to Jail. She has not stood in the pulpit at Highland Baptist Church and asked for forgiveness. Fruti Test #2…..Do I need to keep going? Repentance is not private…Jesus death was not private. Jesus did not tell his disciples to follow him privately. I am just sick and tired of people who claim the name of Christ and dont even know what he taught. Our country is in the shape its in not because of lost folks but Christians who are ignorant of the bible!
To BamaBoy:
How do you know she didnt repent of her sin? No one does. Thats between her and the Lord. Hell is gonna be filled with all kinds of people. And yes we should repent of our sins i agree with that
To Mary:
Good thing you’re not in charge of making decisions..
If she had to stand out with a sign on her back then we ALL should walk around with signs say what we are.. Liars, adultresses and thieves ETC…..
Ok This mess about frogiveness is only granted to those who REPENT! If she would have repented and confessed her sin that Jesus is faithful and just to forgive her sin. Yes Jesus forgives and He died for sinners. REPENTANT SINNERS! Hell is gonna be full of selfish people who wanted forgiveness with no repentance!
To Mary:
Yes Chris did keep the Harley and yes they have 2 kids boy and a girl and their first grand child coming in a few months. Guess she wont be here to see that. My mother died of cancer too so I have no remorse for her what so ever.
Her community service should have to be done in Molino & outside w/ a sign that says “I have to pick trash up because I am a lowlife for lying about having a very serious disease! I deserved a HARSHER SENTENCE!”
A FREAKIN YEAR! Hope they move from the area(MOLINO) I dont know them nor do I want to…My mom died from cancer when I was 7 yrs old….(am 48 now) ..I cant put the words I want on here…wonder if they have kids?? Did the husband get to keep his Harley??? LOW LIFE LOSERS!!!!
I don’t understand how people can say these things. If you claim to be Christian then you have to forgive like Christ forgives us. We praise King David for the things he did but if you remember he committed adultery and had that womans husband killed but yet we just look at the good things he did. What about Chris and Sonja? Reflect on the good things they did. If you knew them then you CAN NOT say they didn’t do good things. They helped anyone in need!! Yes what has happened is wrong and hurtful but last time I checked Romans 3:23 God said we ALL have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God!! This is a time for prayer not bad mouthing.
If Chris truly thought she had cancer then he has to be the absolute worst husband ever!!!! Who doesn’t go to the dr for treatments with their wife whom they believe to have cancer? These two are real winners. Wonder what kind of parents they were?
That’s a very small price she’s paying for what she done. God will judge her in the end.
Well maybe there is a small bit of justice left! (very small)
She won’t be here to see her first grandchild born-so that will cause her even more misery…well deserved I might add.
How I would have loved to be sitting in that courtroom when she realized that she wasn’t going back home!!
She is an evil, spiteful person and she got WAY less than what she deserved, but at least it was something.
She needed more time so she could go to prison and find out what life is all about.
My thoughts exactly, tigtag24, I would not want her around any of my family or friends that is fighting cancer. Anyone that would stand up in church and say the things she did should not be free!
No way would I want that heartless individual around any family member or friend of mine undergoing cancer treatments. She was around people with cancer and even “counseled” a few after their first diagnosis with cancer. She even told them of what they had to “expect” after treatments. I know a couple people who were newly diagnosed who specifically seeked her out to talk with her because she kept her “illness” high profile around Molino and the ball park. She knew exactly what she was doing……………. NO SOUL in that body………
Thank goodness…I personally WOULD NOT want this scammer taking care of any of my friends or family who have cancer…..just saying….
Regarding, “I think she should be made to work with some of the people that really have cancer so that she can see what they are really going through.”
She WAS around people with cancer…didn’t seem to have an effect on her then!
I thought she’d get off with only probation, but I am glad that she will spend at least this little bit of time in jail. Too bad it wasn’t the full five years in PRISON! That’s what she really deserves.
She got the max she could get per Florida Statutes
I think she should be made to work with some of the people that really have cancer so that she can see what they are really going through. Then maybe the next time she wants to steal money from someone she will think about it first. Cancer is not something to joke about, it is a serious thing and it is taking the lives of wonderful people every day. I dont think she should be able to work around any kind of funraiser but it may do her some good to see what the people with cancer are going through. They are fighting for their lives and she thought it was game and a good way to get rich.
One year, that’s it???
This is a sick couple – and not in a way they need to raise funds for.
Just sad that her co-conspirator is not joining her?
Once again our judicial system proves that crime does pay!