COBB COUNTY, Ga. — A Cobb County family of three faces conspiracy charges after an online donation site was set up for a sick child who police say was not sick after all.
The tightly knit online community says they are outraged after learning about the allegations. Some of them even tried to alert police nearly a year ago.
Those who helped the Clawson family started realizing something wasn't right last summer after Jo Clawson raised money for a dying friend who apparently did not exist.
When a GoFundMe account popped up for the Clawson's daughter, supposedly in dire straits at a local hospital, some sought out police.
"There were tons of red flags and there were tons of people in the community who reached out just for the sake of her kids and people being taken advantage of and nothing was done," said resident Sandra May. "There were various things, multi-stories that didn't seem to add up."
Some did their own detective work, finding Clawson, her husband and mother had a checkered past of fraud claims and even arrests.
When some openly questioned Clawson about her daughter, she sent them a doctor's letter with a number to his nurse that some found out was actually her mother's cellphone and the doctor long retired.
When news of the GoFundMe account reached the elementary school where the Clawson's older son went, they sent school police to check out the story. The police ended up charging the family with conspiracy.
A lot of people were left angry and worried those who legitimately need help now won't get it.
"I think a lot of people are double checking and looking into it and not donating as much," said resident Sandra May.
"I think this will put a bad taste in people's mouth, where that money's actually going," said Jennifer Hicks, who helped the family.
Records show both Jo Clawson and her mother remain in jail. Clawson's husband has bonded out but was not at home when Channel 2 Action News went by to seek comment.
WSBTV
