US Postal Worker Faked Cancer for Paid Leave

Caroline Boyle, a 60-year-old employee at the U.S. Postal Service, decided in 2015 to secure herself a paid leave in a most unconventional manner: she told her colleagues she had cancer that weakened her significantly, preventing her from working. She presented her supervisors with medical notes stating she was too weak and needed to rest at home.

For many months, she received a salary without showing up at work, until one of her supervisors became suspicious. In the latest medical note Boyle submitted, the doctor's name was misspelled, and the signature appeared strange. Managers began investigating, obtained a search warrant for Boyle's apartment, and found no evidence she was ill with cancer. Confronted with the evidence, she broke down and admitted: she was healthy and simply wanted a leisurely break at the company's expense. Boyle had worked for the Postal Service since 1991, and her plan was to continue deceiving for money until her retirement. She needed the money not only to live in the meantime but also to finance a trip to Hawaii for her retirement.

During Boyle's trial, another postal worker who had been under Boyle's supervision and indeed suffered from cancer testified. The worker testified that during his illness, Boyle accused him of 'faking cancer' and did not allow him to take additional leave or work from home.

In Tuesday's ruling, Boyle was ordered to repay all the money she embezzled, as well as a ten thousand dollar fine. Additionally, she was sentenced to six months of house arrest. However, the sentence included a distinctive touch: Judge Raymond Moore ordered Boyle to complete 652 hours of community service at a cancer treatment center, research center, or hospice.

The number of hours Boyle will have to spend witnessing the suffering of cancer patients exactly matches the hours she was absent from work under false pretenses.