Woman Indicted For Allegedly Feigning Cancer To Raise Money For Heroin

Brittany Ozarowski, a 21-year-old from Long Island, was indicted Wednesday on charges of scamming both family and local businesses out of thousands of dollars by claiming she had cancer. 

The district attorney said Ozarowski was using the money instead to buy heroin.

In all, the alleged scam lasted for over a year and even boasted a website - brittanyozarowksi.com - where she claimed she had bone, brain, ovarian, stomach and thyroid cancer. Treatments, she told visitors, cost her $33,000 each day.

"There was no cancer, there was no chemotherapy, there was no radiation," said Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota, according to ABC News. "The only thing that there was, was heroin and more heroin."

In total, the woman was indicted on 24 counts, including forgery, grand larceny and scheme to defraud. 

One thrift store owner, Bryan Burgzzoli, told WBAC that at one point he held an auction for Ozarowski's supposed treatments - an auction, he said, that drew 140 attendees and thousands of dollars.

"[Her] grandma is hugging me, hugging me and crying while I had her the money," he told the ABC-affiliate. "I made [Ozarowski] come here to present herself ... so everybody can see who we're doing this for. With a beautiful smile on her face, [she] walked out with the money."

Spota further said that the woman's father even cashed in his 401(k) while her grandmother sold a home in New York to help contribute to what they felt was an effort to save their daughter and granddaughter's life.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, there are an estimated 900,000 chronic heroin users in the United States with a variety of treatments available to treat the addiction, including a synthetic opiate that blocks the effects of the drug and eliminates withdrawal symptoms. Detoxification programs are available and are designed to ease the symptoms of withdrawal as individuals adjust to a drug-free state.

Withdrawal is rarely fatal and its symptoms peak 48 to 72 hours after the last opiate dose and disappear within 7 to 10 days, though this is followed by cravings if not treated.

For those looking to overcome heroin abuse or are concerned for another, the Coalition Against Drug Abuse as well as other organizations provide both live chat options as well as phone numbers that can be dialed at any time.