LAVONIA, Ga. — A Georgia woman confessed to lying about being a veteran and lying about her daughter having cancer.
Gabrielle Beutler pleaded guilty to charges of forgery, false representation of a veteran and child cruelty last week in Franklin County, Georgia, according to local media reports.
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The Georgia Bureau of Investigation arrested Beutler, 31, in August after the Lavonia police department asked the GBI to investigate.
According to investigators, Beutler claimed to be a veteran who served in the Air Force in Afghanistan. She altered a discharge from active duty form to join the Lavonia Veterans of Foreign Wars office. The GBI said she also falsified documents to get Purple Heart license plates.
Lavonia Police Chief Bruce Carlisle told The Hartwell Sun newspaper that a VFW member brought information to police.
“The VFW is totally a victim in this,” Carlisle said. “They were taken advantage of and preyed upon.”
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Beutler also confessed to lying about her 9-year-old daughter having cancer, according to WYFF-4 in Greenville. Prosecutors and police said she shaved her daughter’s head and set up fake fundraisers.
“The saddest thing about this is she had her own child convinced she was a cancer victim,” Carlisle told WYFF. “So far as to do check-ins on Facebook and social media at different cancer treatment facilities.”
A GoFundMe page set up by Beutler has been taken down. One of the organizations that helped with one fundraiser said it is working to recover the money that was raised.
“Once an entire list of her victims has be received, we will be appointed a victim advocate for possible restitutions. If you were apart of this ride and signed our registration form, please message us your name and address so we can add you to our report,” From the Hart Events posted on Facebook. “We are saddened and deeply hurt that we helped and trusted this person. And rest assured she will be brought to justice for this crime and the many others she has committed. Unfortunately we were all victims of her disturbed scam.”
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Beutler accepted a plea deal that sentenced her to two years in prison and 15 years of probation, according to WYFF.
A judge also ordered her to have a mental evaluation and pay restitution.
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