Woman gets jail time for faking cancer, stealing from friends
LAS VEGAS (Court TV) — A woman who lied to her friends for months, even pretending she had cancer at one point, will head to jail after pleading guilty to theft.
Haleigh Knight appears at her sentencing on June 24, 2026. (Court TV)
Haleigh Knight pleaded guilty to a felony theft charge; if she completes her probation and pays the full $19,787.12 in restitution, she may request that the conviction be reduced to a misdemeanor.
That plea agreement didn’t sit well with the victims who testified at Wednesday’s sentencing hearing. “The financial impact changed the course of my life,” Corey Fink said in court. “I lost everything I had built for myself. While I was unknowingly funding Haleigh’s lavish lifestyle, I was packing up my own life and leaving behind everything I had built for myself.”
Prosecutors said that Knight first convinced her friends that she had gotten them positions as content creators with a company called “Four Seasons.” The friends were told that if they paid a deposit for training, they’d soon be taken on trips together. “Based on the life that she portrayed, and the confidence she spoke with, I had no reason to doubt her,” Corey Fink said. “What I know now is that much of what Haleigh presented to me was a lie.”
Corey Fink said that Knight assumed different personalities of managers at the fictitious company, not only making false promises but even executing documents. “Looking back now, what disturbs me is how detailed it all was,” she said. “It’s not just a name she created. These people had personalities, job titles, explanations and ongoing conversations. There were contracts, DocuSign agreements and even communications from what we believed was a legal team.”
Corey Fink, her sister, Cydney Fink, and their mother, Leann Fink, were all victims of Knight’s scheme and testified in court. “The money was just the tip of the iceberg,” Leann Fink said.
“She knew exactly what our dreams were, and she used those dreams against us,” Cydney Fink, who had known Knight since high school, said. “When people hear this case, they think it’s just about the money. But for us, it’s so much more than that. We stepped down from work, lost income, delayed education and gave up family time and built our future around something that never existed.”
After collecting money in “deposits” from her friends, Knight then claimed she had pancreatic cancer. Her friends responded by donating money to her, giving her gift cards and even arranging for food deliveries and babysitting to help her family.
“I truly believed my friend was dying,” Corey Fink said. “This was not a single bad decision or a momentary lapse in judgment. It was a yearslong pattern of deliberate deception carried out against people who trusted her and cared about her.”
Knight became emotional when she delivered a statement at the hearing. “I know I’m here because of my own actions, and I take responsibility for that. I think about my choices and the people I hurt every day,” she said. She asked for “the opportunity to keep moving forward, make restitution, support my family and prove through my actions that I can learn from this and be a better person.”
“While you were making your statement, you were dabbing at your eyes,” Judge Jessica Peterson noted as she began to hand down the sentence. “But it was not lost on the Court that when your former friends were telling you the ways that you hurt them, that you stood there emotionless.”
While the plea agreement between Knight and the prosecutors called for a suspended sentence — meaning she would not serve jail time — Peterson felt some incarceration was warranted in the case. “There needs to be a consequence that is more than just you paying money back; there just does. Thirty days seems right to me. And I know that does not seem like a lot of time to the family, but it’s me saying that there needs to be a consequence to you taking people’s trust and destroying people’s trust that is more than just you paying back money.”
Knight will be allowed to self-surrender; she has until July 1 at 9:30 a.m. to do so.
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Badenoch blasts 'moaning' female Labour MPs over Burnham jobs 'quota'
Kemi Badenoch has told Labour women to earn a job in Andy Burnham's Cabinet instead of demanding they are handed jobs because of their gender.
The Tory leader lashed out today amid reports that female MPs are demanding the de-facto new prime minister introduce a 50:50 gender split 'quota' in his government.
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister also complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts.
But in a scathing article in the Times today Mrs Badenoch told them to 'stop moaning' and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'.
'There are many, many reasons why you shouldn't have any Milibands in the cabinet,' she said.
'But complaining that the boys haven't given them the right jobs or that the boys are taking all the jobs, just shows that Labour's women still don't get it.'
The idea of quotas was also attacked by Baroness Jacqui Smith, Labour's Skills Minister.
Asked by Times Radio if Mr Burnham should reserve jobs for women, she said: 'No, I think what Andy Burnham should be doing is building the very best team around him to change this country.'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband (above, right, in 2010) is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts
But Mrs Badenoch told them to pipe down and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party and seen by the BBC has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs after he succeeds Sir Keir Starmer.
'We are asking you to demonstrate this change from day one and address the toxicity and misogyny within our own party and government,' it said.
Labour has never had a female leader, while the Conservatives have had three, and Mrs Badenoch urged the government to follow its meritocratic example.
'If you run a meritocracy, then you do not have to worry about jobs for the boys,' she wrote.
'Every woman who is a Conservative MP, every woman who has ever won the leadership, has had to fight to get where she is.
'By contrast, Labour women are demanding guarantees from Burnham. But the truth is he doesn't have to give any guarantees.
'If none of Labour's women are prepared to get their hands dirty and challenge him for the leadership, their demands are toothless.'
'In fact, it's quite revealing that the women's parliamentary Labour Party has written to Burnham asking him to commit himself to at least 50 per cent female ministers.
'This has nothing to do with meritocracy. It is yet more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country.'
Venezuela Fury and Noah Price subsidising their life by livestreaming
Venezuela Fury and her husband Noah Price look to be making their own way in the world by raking it in from their lucrative social media accounts.
The influencer daughter of Tyson and Paris Fury, 16, has become an internet sensation after tying the knot with her husband Noah, 19, earlier this year.
Since getting married and moving in together the couple have been earning thousands of pounds a month, livestreaming their life as newlyweds in their static caravan in the East Riding of Yorkshire.
And fans can't get enough of their regular life updates on TikTok and Kick, which have proved to be very profitable for the pair.
They look to be supporting themselves after Noah denied that he was given £5million by Venezuela's family as a wedding gift.
Despite his wife's huge family wealth, an estimated combined £160 million, Noah recently told his Kick followers that he 'pays for everything' for the couple.
Making light of the claims about Venezuela's millionaire financial status, Noah said: 'I actually pay for everything unfortunately. You'd expect the millionaire to pay for it wouldn't you.'
Venezuela Fury and Noah Price are earning thousands livestreaming their caravan life - after her new groom insisted he pays all the bills and denied he had £5m handout from her dad
The influencer daughter of Tyson and Paris Fury , 16, has become an internet sensation after tying the knot with her husband Noah, 19, earlier this year
Venezuela then asked their fans: 'Do you think I am a millionaire?'
Noah joked: 'She isn't a secret millionaire guys', before she broke into song and sang: 'But I live like a millionaire!'
But it seems according to estimated calculations from their social media work, Noah and Venezuela can more than afford to support themselves.
Noah has been livestreaming on platforms such as Kick and TikTok, where viewers can send paid gifts or donations.
He was previously encouraging viewers to send gifts on his honeymoon during livestreams, suggesting this is one revenue stream.
Both Noah and Venezuela have built substantial followings on Instagram and TikTok. They can potentially earn money through sponsored posts, brand collaborations, affiliate links and creator payouts.
Kick allows its creators to take home 95 per cent of the £4.99 subscription cost that fans pay.
Streamers keep 100 per cent of direct tips and donations, minus minor standard payment processing fees.
It is unclear how many subscribers Noah currently has because this information is hidden, but he does have 7,200 followers which is publicly viewable.
An industry insider has suggested Noah is making around £400 per video on TikTok, while Venezuela is likely to make £2,000 due to her following count of 1.3 million.
An industry insider has suggested Noah is making around £400 per video on TikTok, while Venezuela is likely to make £2,000 due to her following count of 1.3 million
In one video on their honeymoon, Noah asked his followers if they'd give them some more gifts now that they were married.
In a TikTok live viewed by 20,000 he said: 'Keep liking our videos people, keep sending gifts.'
After saying thank you to several of his followers he joked they should stick around on the livestream and 'watch Venezuela punch me in the mouth'.
The other half of the honeymooning couple said: 'I am, honestly!'
Noah previously confirmed that the pair don't share their finances after they were asked whether they have a shared bank account.
'She earns her money, I earn mine,' said Noah, as Venezuela joked: 'Yeah, what you gonna do about it.'
Noah went on to debunk the rumour that Tyson gave him £5million when he tied the knot with his daughter as he insisted: 'No Tyson did not give me £5million'.
Meanwhile Venezuela is being eyed up by executives for a fly on the wall TV series.
Noah went on to debunk the rumour that Tyson gave him £5million when he tied the knot with his daughter as he insisted: 'No Tyson did not give me £5million'
Boasting 1.3 million TikTok followers, Venezuela is already entertaining fans with her honest musings and candid moments, from cooking to kitting out her and Noah's static caravan home.
And following the success of the Netflix series At Home With The Furys, it is no wonder bosses are wanting to draw on the Fury popularity.
A TV insider said: 'The couple are not A-list celebrities but everyone has become obsessed with their love story.
'People are genuinely intrigued by them. Whether it’s the fact they have married so young, Venezuela’s famous family or their gypsy lifestyle, they have the ‘X factor'.
'Several TV executives think a proper fly-on-the-wall series following their lives as newlyweds in the gypsy community would be fascinating,' they told The Sun.
It is thought Netflix would be likely to produce the series due to their already established relationship with the Furys.
Venezuela's representatives told The Daily Mail: 'We have many offers on the table regarding Venezuela which we are discussing.'
