Canton mom pleads guilty to faking daughter’s illness to get donations

CANTON, Ohio (WOIO) - A Canton mother pleaded guilty on Thursday to charges after faking her daughter’s illness to get donations, according to Stark County Prosecutor Kyle Stone.

The incident stemmed from a false GoFundMe campaign called ‘Rylee’s Warriors’ which raised an excess of $4,500 in 2021 before it was shut down.

The organizer of the page, 35-year-old Lindsey Abbuhl, used the false campaign to receive donations from the community after saying her 11-year-old daughter was suffering from a terminal illness, according to a news release.

Canton, Ohio mother under investigation for allegedly faking daughter’s illness to get donations

Lindsey Abbuhl under investigation after faking daughter Rylee's terminal illness for years to... — Lindsey Abbuhl under investigation after faking daughter Rylee's terminal illness for years to get donations(Facebook)

Officials confirmed Abbuhl pleaded guilty on Nov. 17 to two charges:

Child endangering, a second-degree felony
Theft, a fourth-degree felony

Officials ordered Abbuhl to serve 4 to 6 years in prison and pay $8,529.90 in restitution to victims as a part of a plea deal.

“Essentially, this plea was a way to bring closure to the several parties involved in this case,” Stone said in a comment. “This was also the best way to avoid the possibility of further traumatizing a child that has already been through so much.”

This is a developing story. Return to 19 News for updates.