DA Charges Dispatcher–Phony Cancer Claim

The Napa County (N. Calif.) district attorney has charged a former Napa city police dispatcher with fraud, forgery and identify theft, alleging that she lied about having cancer and fraudulently collected $50,000 in pay and public donations intended for medical expenses. Dannille Vanderpool, 33, resigned in January after police learned of the fraud, and then turned herself in for booking this week. A judge ordered her held on $50,000 bail. Vanderpool’s attorney said she suffers from mental illness, and that her behavior was not about the money. Vanderpool told police she has never had cancer, and admitted to forging Kaiser medical forms since 2007. The victims who donated money include several individuals, several law enforcement associations and the 911 CARES program. Vanderpool was a 3-year dispatcher for the agency, and before that worked in the department’s records unit. Kevin Willett of the 911 CARES program wrote his followers, “Please don’t let the actions of one deter you from helping those in need. Those that really need help are in need and shouldn’t suffer due to Dannille’s criminal acts.” Read stories documenting her original “illness,” arrest and aftermath here, a statement from the 911 CARES program here, and download (pdf) the original 911 CARES flyer for Vanderpool.