Indianapolis woman gets home detention, probation for scamming Indiana State Fair Remembrance Fund
Sandra Hurn got $7,500 from fund
Posted: 09/28/2012
Last Updated:
234 days ago
INDIANAPOLIS - A woman who scammed the Indiana State Fair Remembrance Fund out of $7,500 will avoid jail time in the case.
Sandra Hurn, 38, who pleaded guilty to one count of forgery and one count of possession of a controlled substance, was sentenced Friday to two years on home detention and three years on probation.
Hurn claimed to be an 11-year-old girl who had been trampled by fleeing crowds after the rigging above the stage at the Indiana State Fairgrounds collapsed before the Sugarland concert Aug. 13, 2011, killing seven people and injuring dozens of others.
Hurn and her niece, Stephanie Murry, falsified hospital records and submitted claims to both the Indiana State Fair Remembrance Fund and the Indiana Tort Claim Fund, even though neither had been at the concert.
Hurn received a $7,500 check from the remembrance fund, but Murry's claim was denied because the injuries reported didn't meet qualifications, officials said.
Both women were told they would also receive a check from the tort claim fund, but Hurn was arrested when she arrived to pick up the check. Murry was taken into custody a short time later with her $2,900 check.
Murry pleaded guilty last month to one count of forgery and one count of perjury. She is expected to be sentenced Oct. 5 to four years on work release and one year on probation.
Deputy Prosecutor Anne Harrigan said the women's actions were a slap in the face to those who donated to the fund.
"The main concern was to get that money repaid and to have the defendant understand, to truly understand, how many people she harmed when she took advantage of the generosity and trust that was shown by those people donating," she said. "By making her do home detention, she is going to be required to pay all of that back, as well as do community service."
Hurn was ordered to pay $7,500 in restitution to the fund and perform 80 hours of community service. Murry will have to perform 100 hours of community service.
Copyright 2012 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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