ALSFORUMS.COMScam WatchTodd Kelly Foundation

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Todd Kelly Smith

Possible Con Artist

Todd Kelly Smith, a radio disc jockey has been indicted by the Kentucky State Police after defrauding donors of money intended for ALS research.

The man responsible, Todd Smith, is a self proclaimed ALS patient, supposedly diagnosed with ALS in 2001, and has now been uncovered as a possible con man.

In 2001, Kelly said he was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis ALS, a rare disease of the nervous system that causes rapid and irreversible degeneration of the nerves that send signals to muscles. Now, more than four years later, he has not shown any signs of the illness. And that, coupled with his inability to account for the thousands of dollars he's raised, has raised serious questions as to whether it's all been an elaborate hoax.

Information For Donors

If you donated to the Todd Kelly Foundation and would like to file a complaint with the Attorney General's office, call 1-888-432-9257 and choose option 3.

Todd Kelly Smith Possible Con Man

Scam History

The purported scam has quite an interesting history, here are some articles from the organisation responsible for uncovering this scam (Wave3 and Eric Flack):

• May 5th, 2006
  Mother And Son Behind Bars On Theft Charges
  Kentucky State Police arrested former WDJX-FM personality Todd Kelly Smith and his mother, Sybil Smith, yesterday afternoon, charging them each with 11 counts of theft. Police said they have been investigating whether Todd Smith, who used the name Todd Kelly, had stolen more than $100,000 in donations to the Todd Kelly Foundation.
• Feb 23rd, 2006
  ALS Patients Noticed Todd Kelly Never Showed Symptoms
  But Kelly was walking just fine at the MDA telethon this past September, more than four years after his supposed diagnosis. "I thought there should be some signs of it," said Richard's wife, Pat. "By this time in his progression, there should have been some signs."
• Feb 23rd, 2006
  ALS Groups Now Shun Todd Kelly
  ALS groups that once worked side by side with Kelly now want nothing to do with him. Four-and-a-half years later, Kelly shows none of the symptoms. And that just doesn't make sense to Dr. Greg Pittman, the director of the Muscular Dystrophy clinic in Louisville.
• Feb 23rd, 2006
  People Who Turned Down Offer To Sit On Todd Kelly Foundation Board Listed Anyway
  Kelly sent out constant email updates on his condition and foundation. In one email, he claimed that in addition to ALS, he had been diagnosed with bone cancer. He said he was going to lose a leg in six months. More than 15 months later, he seemed to be walking just fine.
• Feb 23rd, 2006
  Todd Kelly's Brother Doesn't Believe He Has ALS
  As the investigation into whether or not Todd Kelly really has ALS continues, his brother has come forward to say he believes Kelly is a fraud. Kelly is being investigated by state police for possibly faking ALS, or Lou Gehrig's Disease, then collecting over $150,000 in donations that he has yet to account for.
• Feb 14th, 2006
  Commonwealth Moves To Hold Kelly In Contempt After He Misses Court Appearance
  More twists and turns Tuesday in the Todd Kelly case. For the second straight week, Kelly skipped out on a grand jury appearance. And the Commonwealth's Attorney's office says the man accused of faking ALS faked more medical problems to get out of the latest meeting. It's just one more bizarre development in the investigation into whether Kelly stole as much as $100,000 in donations meant for ALS patients.
• Jan 7th, 2006
  Ex-Radio Personality Under Scrutiny For Allegedly Faking ALS
  In 2001, Kelly said he was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis ALS, a rare disease of the nervous system that causes rapid and irreversible degeneration of the nerves that send signals to muscles. Now, more than four years later, he has not shown any signs of the illness. And that, coupled with his inability to account for the thousands of dollars he's raised, has raised serious questions as to whether it's all been an elaborate hoax.