Overview
- Investigators say Maribeth Ellen Jones, who worked as an activities director, told residents between 2022 and 2024 that she had cancer and solicited donations through a GoFundMe plus cash and checks.
- Collier County detectives allege Jones used the contributed funds to pay personal debts and that she had been the beneficiary of earlier fundraisers with similar claims.
- Detectives obtained an arrest warrant and Jones turned herself in on a second-degree felony grand theft charge for taking more than $40,000 from about 238 Naples residents.
- GoFundMe removed the fundraisers, banned the account, and said it refunded more than $41,000 to donors under its Giving Guarantee, which returns money when misuse is confirmed.
- Sheriff Kevin Rambosk called the case an exploitation of community generosity and officials issued step-by-step donor tips such as checking organizer transparency and confirming stories with family or friends to reduce fraud risk.