Authorities said a woman was using her three children to help her steal money from good-hearted individuals thinking they were donating to school.
Melonie Julia Haynes, 32, of Old Yank Road, Wilson is accused of going to several homes in the Buck Swamp area of Wayne County over a three month period in 2017 raising money for the fake fundraiser.
Haynes reportedly collected monies from residents in several neighborhoods with her 3 school age children claiming they were raising money for a school the children did not even attend.
Wayne County deputies believe Haynes conducted the fake fundraising scam between mid-October and mid-December. Haynes was charged this week with contributing to the delinquency of a minor and obtaining property by false pretenses, a felony.
If anyone believes they have been a victim or attempted victim of the scam you are asked to contact Captain Shawn Harris at the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office at 919-731-1483.
