A man collected donations to help a friend who was dying of cancer, but instead of passing the money along to her family, he allegedly pocketed the cash, according to an arrest affidavit.
Denver District Attorney Beth McCann filed theft and computer crime charges against Scott Kesterson, 52, on Friday. He was arrested by U.S. Marshals later that day in Billings, Mont., as he was about to continue a bicycle trip across the country.
In 2013, Kesterson hired Denver-based attorney Kelly de la Torre as he launched his Portland, Ore.-based company Spatial Terra, LLC, according to the affidavit. The two were also friends. In July, de la Torre told Kesterson that she was diagnosed with lymphoma.
Shortly after, Kesterson set up Spatial Terra Foundation, a charitable organization to help raise money for de la Torre’s care and treatment, according to the affidavit. A website was set up to collect donations, setting a fundraising goal of $100,000.
In a letter on the website, Kesterson wrote that the foundation was established to support people in a time of need, starting with de la Torre. Excluding a donation by Kesterson, the foundation amassed $12,300 from 86 donors, according to the affidavit.
In November 2013, de la Torre died. At the start of the new year, her husband reached out to Kesterson to collect the donations, according to the affidavit. At the time, Kesterson said he was going through some legal paperwork but would get back to him. After repeated follow-ups, Kesterson stopped answering the phone.
The money was transferred from the associated PayPal account to Spatial Terra Foundation accounts, according to the affidavit. Only $29.84 was left in the PayPal account. The funds were used for Kesterson’s personal and business expenses, including purchases at Costco and Federal Express.
Earlier this month, a U.S. District judge ordered an at a cancer treatment center, cancer research center or hospice after she faked lymphoma.
