Husband of woman who claimed cancer is cleared

South Vienna police officer returns to work.

South Vienna police Officer Joseph “Matt” Mundy has been cleared of any wrongdoing in a criminal case involving his wife and claims that she faked had cancer, police officials confirmed Thursday.

Officer Mundy was placed on unpaid administrative leave May 2 after the department learned of an investigation involving his wife, Michelle Mundy, 38 of 3381 Hustead Road, suspected of lying about having cancer and collecting money from fundraisers. Michelle Mundy has subsequently been charged with two counts of misdemeanor theft and one count of felony theft. She is accused of taking $5,750 from those fundraisers and using the money for personal use, according to court records.

Michelle Mundy was indicted on the felony theft charge by a Clark County grand jury Tuesday. She is out of jail on her own recognizance and will be arraigned on the charge in Clark County Common Pleas Court June 7.

South Vienna police Sgt. Bryan Sullivan said his department has kept in close contact with Springfield police, who have been investigating after the Ohio Masonic Home reported April 26 that Michelle Mundy lied about having cancer and took a “substantial” amount of money from fundraisers. Springfield police have concluded the investigation and Officer Mundy was “excluded from the case,” and subsequent charges, Sullivan said.

As a result, Officer Mundy was cleared by the department and allowed to return back to active duty May 20. He worked his first shift Friday and will remain on the Friday shift, Sullivan said.

Officer Mundy was reached by phone and declined to comment for an interview, but he said he was not involved in his wife’s alleged actions.

According to court documents obtained by the Springfield News-Sun, Michelle Mundy’s claim of having Lymphoma began to unravel April 25 when her co-workers went to surprise her at Greene Memorial Hospital, where she said she was receiving treatment. But, according to police, Mundy wasn’t there. The next day, April 26, Mundy resigned from her position and the Ohio Masonic Home contacted police.

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