Officials: Texas teacher's aide faked cancer for time off

MESQUITE, TX -- Officials say a Dallas-area teacher's aide faked having cancer and that his time off granted for surgery coincided with a West Virginia court date.

The Dallas Morning News reports administrators Tuesday told students at Wilkinson Middle School in Mesquite that Kevin MaBone does not have cancer and is no longer an employee. He was hired in August.

Records show MaBone pleaded guilty in October to misappropriating government funds from the Charleston Jobs Corps Center.

MaBone last week accepted $10,000 in donations and a car in school efforts to help him face cancer. An administrator became suspicious when MaBone later said the cancer was gone, but he needed a growth removed and the time off.

No publicly listed contact numbers could immediately be located for MaBone, whose scheduled sentencing Tuesday was delayed.