Today's fake: AIDS speaker made many false claims

A Pennsylvania woman, Cassey Weierbach, travelled the country telling a story about how she was raped, contracted AIDS by age 12, and was in the "final," wheelchair-bound stages of a related illness. But she was a fake, and now faces charges of theft by deception, forgery, tampering with records and making false statements. (Links courtesy Chr. Today)

For years, Pastor Lois, as she is known, and other preachers, teachers and doctors from throughout the Lehigh Valley have come to Cassey's aid. Churchgoers and volunteers have held her hand when she was laid up in a hospital bed. They've cooked her meals and done her laundry. They've passed the plate for her on Sunday and paid her rent when it was overdue.

Wherever she has needed to go, they've taken her, to the grocery store, to the pharmacy, to doctor appointments. Countless doctor appointments. The medical work -- physicals,blood work and MRIs under Pennsylvania's Medicaid program -- is unending.

Now, Pastor Lois Randolph was accusing Cassey of a particularly cruel form of deception... "She duped my church."

Before she was charged, Weierbach initially responded to the allegations by saying the pastor was out to get her because she (Weierbach) is gay. But medical records and sworn statements cited in court papers say Weierbach faked her diagnosis and has been found to have no illness.