The LCN - "A Nunda woman is facing petit larceny charges after allegedly staging a Tupperware fundraiser to benefit a now-deceased cancer victim and then pocketing the profits.
Nunda Police arrested Patty Wilkins, 32, and charged her with four counts of petit larceny, a misdemeanor, in connection with the allegedly fraudulent fundraiser.
Wilkins stands accused of organizing and managing a Tupperware fundraiser to benefit Dalton resident Christina ‘Tina’ Buchanger, who died Jan. 28 at the age of 47.
But after accepting donations and payment for Tupperware orders, Wilkins allegedly kept the money – a few hundred dollars – and failed to distribute purchases and other promised prizes.
According to Buchanger’s brother, Daniel Pernicone, is it the hope of Buchanger’s family that the money taken in by Wilkins is returned to those who donated it.
“What is a major concern to the family was and remains a single person allegedly using Tina’s or anyone else’s name and medical condition to allegedly generate personal profit,” wrote Pernicone in a Facebook message Tuesday. “If it is determined in court that was indeed her intent and she did in fact commit these crimes, the family prays she will be held up as an example that if you prey on people or a community during there times of struggle for personal profit, not only will you not get away with it, but the legal system will impose penalties so severe to act as a deterrent to others who would consider doing such a thing into the future.”
After her arrest, Wilkins was released on appearance tickets. She is due back in court on a later date."