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A Northern New York man is facing felony-level legal trouble after police say he falsely claimed his young child was suffering from cancer and had died, all for the purpose of collecting donations and sympathy from others.

New York State Police have charged Kaleb Stevens of Adams, NY, with Grand Larceny in the fourth-degree and Scheme to Defraud in the first-degree, both class-E felonies.

Investigators say Stevens told co-workers that he needed money for his son's funeral, after making up a story that his 4-year-old was suffering from Lukemia. He's accused of soliciting donations for the funeral costs, saying that his son had died in August at St. Jude's Children's Hospital. The 30-year-old fraudulently took checks from at least two people, one for $500 and another for $1,000, according to state police.

Thankfully, investigators say his son was not dead, and was not battling cancer. Instead, they say "he made up the story to gain sympathy and monetary donations."

Stevens was issued appearance tickets and is due to answer the charges in Jefferson County later this month.

[AUTHOR'S NOTE:   This post is for informational purposes only. Any charges or accusations of wrongdoing mentioned in the article are only allegations and the reader is reminded that all persons are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.]

[AUTHOR'S NOTE:   This post is for informational purposes only. Any charges or accusations of wrongdoing mentioned in the article are only allegations and the reader is reminded that all persons are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.]