Colorado woman lied about having cancer to get off work

On Friday, a postal service employee admitted to faking a non-Hodgkins lymphoma diagnosis so she could work from home and claim 112 sick days.

KUSA reported that Caroline Zarate Boyle, 60, lied because she was passed up for a promotion and wanted to take time off of work. She originally provided her supervisor with a total of four forged notes penned by two different doctors.

Faking cancer starting in June 2015, Boyle furnished phony notes for 20 months and she had no intention of stopping. In fact, the 60-year-old planned to stay on sick leave until her retirement in April 2017—whereupon she would embark on a Hawaiian cruise.

However, investigators with the US Postal Service Office of the Inspector General became suspicious of Boyle’s diagnosis in June 2016. Not only did she misspell a doctor’s name, but the cancer center she claimed she was being treated at denied she was ever a patient, according to KDVR.

A statement from the US Attorney revealed that Boyle’s story completely fell apart during an interview with Postal Service’s Office of the Inspector General agent Joe Martonosi.

Boyle worked for the Post Office since 1991. She currently works as a purchasing specialist at an Aurora contracting and procurement center. Martonosi alleged that Boyle’s supervisor approved a “compassionate teleworking” setup from her home and allowed to her go to daily doctor appointments associated with her “fictitious cancer illness,” according to The Denver Post.

KDVR reported that she was placed on unpaid, non-duty status pending the outcome of the investigation.

Boyle faces up to 10 years in federal prison and could be fined up to $250,000. Her sentencing is scheduled for July 25.