A jury in Arizona has convicted a woman of fraud for faking cancer to get the state to pay for her late-term abortion.
Chalice Renee Zeitner, 30, was found guilty on Monday by the jury at the Maricopa County Superior Court of all 11 counts charged against her, including fraudulent schemes, theft, forgery and identify theft, the Associated Press reports.
She was accused of falsifying medical records that indicated she had cancer so she could abort her baby. The scheme was discovered in 2010 after her abortion.
Her lawyer Adam Schwartz told the jury that she genuinely believed that she had cancer and did not plan to defraud anyone.
Zeitner told her doctor in 2010 that she was undergoing chemotherapy and radiation for cancer and that the baby in her womb was exposed to radiation.
After a specialist found the baby to be healthy, she faked a letter from another specialist that said she should have an abortion to save her life.
Zeitner was subsequently enrolled in a state health care programme that covered cost of abortions such as when a mother's life was in danger.
Before she got the abortion, Zeitner claimed that she had state IV cancer in her abdomen and lower spine. She had an abortion during her 22nd week of pregnancy.
The fraud was discovered in April 2010 when a doctor who performed C-section during her subsequent pregnancy found no evidence of cancer. A doctor listed as one of those who treated her for cancer also denied that she was his patient.
She was arrested in Georgia in May last year where she was living under an assumed name.
More than $6,000 in state fund was spent for her healthcare related to abortion.
"We are pleased the jury found Zeitner guilty on all counts," said Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich, according to The Arizona Republic. "We hope Zeitner receives the maximum sentence possible for her despicable acts."
Zeitner is also facing a separate case of defrauding a charity for veterans in 2012. The trial is set on May 25.
