An internal investigation has started at the Marion County Sheriff’s Office to find out how a deputy was able to convince people he had cancer for several years.

Joe Russell never had cancer, an autopsy has shown, despite what he told colleagues and superiors.

Sheriff Tim Bailey, speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, admitted to falling for the ruse, as did other members of the office.

All of Russell’s accounts – sick pay, vacation, insurance – have been frozen as Sheriff Bailey investigates.

Russell was hired by the sheriff’s office on September 15th, 2004 initially as a dispatcher.  Later that year, he was hired as a deputy to fill the void left by the death of Brandy Winfield.

Shortly after starting his career, he informed Sheriff Bailey and colleagues he had cancer.

In 2007, he ran out of sick time as his alleged scam gained steam.  That is when fellow deputies stepped in, donating over 600 hours of their own sick leave days to Russell.

The Marion County Commissioners had to approve the transfer of sick days, doing so in December of 2007.

A fundraiser was held in September of 2007 with the Fraternal Order of Police which raised $40,000 for Russell and Marion City Police Officer Cory Winfield, who was injured in a motorcycle accident.

The amount was split between the two officers, with Russell getting approximately $20,000.

Later in the month, citizens were warned by the FOP concerning solicitation on behalf of Russell and Winfield.  The FOP called it a scam at the time.

Now, part of the investigation will look into those incidences again.

That investigation includes several investigators who knew Russell, although Bailey said friends of the deputy would not be included among those who look into the allegations.

The scope of the deception continues to come to light.  Bailey said Russell would come to work missing hair and eyebrows and with a tan to simulate the effects of chemotherapy.

He appears to have avoided the paper trail of insurance claims by saying the treatments he was undergoing were experimental and not covered by insurance.  He often solicited fellow deputies for rides to the treatments, where he would have them come back three hours later to pick him up. 

Where he went during that time has not been determined.

The cancer, however, kept changing.  He had brain cancer.  He had lung cancer.  He had testicular cancer, going so far as to say his testicles had been removed.  That was not the case, as proved by an autopsy.

None of the cases of cancer were true.

Russell’s wife is not believed to have known about the fraud until Wednesday morning when a dispute developed over a tax form. 

Russell retreated to an office in his Delaware home where he threatened to kill himself.  The Delaware City Police were called at 7:40 that morning and by the time they had arrived, Russell was dead from a self-inflicted wound.