Woman accused in fake baby illness scam

FERNDALE (AP) -- A 27-year-old Detroit woman falsely claimed she had a baby and hosted a fundraiser for the non-existent child's medical bills, authorities said. Monique Bartlett is charged with misdemeanor fraud after police say she hosted a fundraiser in Ferndale in June and collected several hundred dollars. Police said Bartlett got in touch with some former high school friends using Facebook and set up the scam months in advance, even hosting a baby shower. A judge in Ferndale last week ordered Bartlett to undergo a psychiatric exam to determine whether she is competent to stand trial. Her lawyer confirmed Bartlett is now truly pregnant. Defense lawyer Loren Dickstein said last spring was a difficult time in Bartlett's life, and that she is "deeply saddened and heartbroken for any confusion or anxiety that anyone may have felt during that time period." He said she is a "caring, good person" and is having a hard time dealing with the attention the case has brought. "I believe that at the end of this difficult legal process the court and the prosecution will have a better understanding that Monique never intended to hurt or deceive anyone, especially her friends and neighbors," he said in a statement to The Associated Press. Bartlett's friends became suspicious in the months after the fundraiser because they never saw the baby or even a picture of a baby, Ferndale police told The Daily Tribune of Royal Oak. In January, one of Bartlett's friends, who donated $100 at the fundraiser in Ferndale, contacted police about the story. "She had baby showers in the fall of 2009 and collected gifts, but nobody ever saw her with a baby," Detective Brendan Moore said. "She had a picture of a baby she called 'Jude' on her Facebook page and put out fliers saying she was having a fundraiser because the baby was born with health problems." If convicted, she faces up to 90 days in jail and a $500 fine. Published: Thu, Mar 31, 2011