Screen shot of GoFundMe page for Joanna Leigh
Police and Fire

UPDATE: JP’s Alleged Marathon Fraudster Pleads Guilty

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UPDATE: On Friday, Joanna Leigh pleaded guilty to all the counts against her. A Superior Court judge sentenced her to one year in prison and suspended it to three years of probation, according to the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office. ~~~~~

Jamaica Plain's Joanna Leigh, 41, who pleaded not guilty to five counts of larceny and one count of making a false claim to a government agency this spring, is scheduled to be back in court on Friday morning. Prosecutors allege the Jamaica Plain woman raked in nearly $40,000 in cash and services by faking injury in the Boston Marathon bombings. Back in March when she pleaded guilty, the judge released Leigh without bail, but ordered her to give up her passport, be booked by Boston Police and not travel out of the region without telling the court.

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Screen shot of GoFundMe page for Joanna Leigh
Police and Fire

Jamaica Plain Woman Charged With Bilking Bombing Fund Pleads Not Guilty

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Joanna Leigh, 41, pleaded not guilty to five counts of larceny and one count of making a false claim to a government agency on Monday. Prosecutors allege the Jamaica Plain woman raked in nearly $40,000 in cash and services by faking injury in the Boston Marathon bombings. The judge released Leigh without bail, but ordered her to give up her passport, be booked by Boston Police and not travel out of the region without telling the court. Last week she told the Globe the charges are a result of her public criticism of the One Fund. Leigh claims to have run toward the scene after hearing the first bomb, but investigators say she was actually blocks away from the explosions.

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Screen shot of GoFundMe page for Joanna Leigh
Police and Fire

Jamaica Plain Woman Indicted for Allegedly Faking Bombing Injuries

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Joanna Leigh, a Jamaica Plain woman who collected nearly $40,000 from the One Fund and other donation sources, stands accused of faking her injuries. WCVB reports that Leigh has been indicted on several counts of stealing donations. Leigh claims to have run toward the scene after hearing the first bomb, but investigators say she was actually blocks away from the explosions. Leigh said she suffered brain damage, hearing loss and is experiencing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. This summer, the JP resident's new service dog went missing, sparking a hunt that was among our most-read stories of the year.

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Poster for Lydia, a Great Dane service dog who had gone missing Friday, Aug. 8, 2014. She returned home the next day and is no longer lost.
Animals

Missing Great Dane Service Dog Returns to Owner

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One of the people who trained Lydia, a Great Dane service dog who went missing Friday from the Jamaica Pond area, confirmed the 18-month-old dog found her own way home on Saturday. Lydia apparently became spooked and ran off, but recovered her wits and showed up Saturday outside her new owner's home, said trainer Kati Whitley. Someone noticed the dog was beside a parked car and took the dog into the house. Whitley said Lydia showed impressive smarts, since she had only been with her new owner less than a week. The new owner is Joanna Leigh, a Boston Marathon bombing survivor who lives in JP.

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