When the West Seattle Herald broke the news in late January about Tracy Dart’s alleged ten year pattern of deception about having cancer, it caused a wave of reaction that spread internationally. On forums and message boards from our own site to those in London and elsewhere people expressed their anger, disappointment and sense of betrayal. Dart claimed to have cancer, created "Team Tracy" for the purpose of fundraising for cancer research and held countless fundraisers in the community.
Her efforts led her to gain the use of a bright pink VW bug from Auburn Volkswagen for one year.
While Dart, according to the Susan G. Komen organization through her Team Tracy group, raised more than $415,000 for them, she also, according to community members interviewed by the Herald, received thousands of dollars for herself which is key to the current criminal investigation being conducted by the Seattle Police Department. To lodge a formal complaint as a victim of fraud, you can contact Detective Keith Savas from the SPD Fraud Division at 206-684-4319 or email keith.savas@seattle.gov
The initial reactions were angry and reflected the shock people felt. Herald reader Robert Rubino commented on the story, “The fact she obtained money and gifts under the false pretense of cancer is undisputable and undeniable. Now please, please, please do the right thing in the name of every fighter, survivor and their familiy and PROSECUTE THIS WOMAN and all others to the fullest extent the law allows. It's not tragic or sad. It is a crime and It is definately NOT OK. And there is no excuse for this kind of deceitful behavior when so many people and their families are legitimately fighting for their loved ones each and everyday while struggling to make ends meet. Restitution as part of her penalty is an understatement.”
Kelley McGaha wrote “This lack of honor and integrity is profound. The abuse of trust and choosing to engage in a fraudulent crime as this hurts not only the heart of our great community, it also is a vicious strike against victims fighting cancer and the ones who love them. This act is too offensive for words... Well, I do have a word, one word that comes to mind. That word is Karma... I wish no ill will on anyone, but I seriously would not want to walk in the shoes of a person who could perform such a heinous act.”
Clearly there are people whose feelings have not and will not change.
But after the initial shock of learning about it, feelings among many have mellowed and, perhaps as a measure of both how Dart herself behaved and how people in West Seattle embraced her personally a sense of wanting her to get help has emerged, matched with a wish for justice.
Last week, two people who were close to Dart and held numerous fundraisers for her, approached the Herald and said they wanted to get a message out to the community.
Ian and Allison Hill, owners of the Admiral Benbow for a year in 2014-15 said they have been speaking to the Seattle Police about the matter and revealed that “hundreds of people have come forward” to help in the investigation. “They want people to come forward and just talk about it and see if they have a case. But really what it came down to for me was, Tracy needs help,” said Ian, I love Tracy to death and if I didn’t what I’d probably want when I hear about that, is you want to see somebody just get the book thrown at them. But I’ve gotten to know Tracy and she needs help and don’t think she’s going to do it herself. Unfortunately I see this as the only way to do it.”
The Hills said that during the time they owned the bar, they gave Dart more than $5000 in checks and cash, meant for her personally. Others have told police that they too have receipts for funds collected for Dart’s personal use that pass that threshold.
That would mean if proven and charged Dart could be guilty of felony theft.
The amount collected and records of donations are important since they would form the basis of whatever charges might be brought in the case. Fraud is considered a form of theft.
Kimberly Mills of the City of Seattle Attorney’s office said, “A felony charge would require that the alleged theft be of at least $750, according to my counterpart in (King County Prosecutor) Dan Satterberg’s office, Dan Donohoe.
As for theft as a gross misdemeanor, that penalty would be up to 364 days in jail and a $5,000 fine.
Dan Donohoe of the King County Prosecutor’s office said,
“Theft in the First Degree is a class "B" felony, which carries a maximum sentence of up to ten years, but the standard range under state sentencing guidelines for someone with no criminal history is 0 to 90 days. Theft in the Second Degree is a class "C" felony which carries a maximum sentence of up to five years, but the standard range (no criminal history) is 0 to 60 days. Theft in the Third Degree is a gross misdemeanor which carries a range of 0 to 1 year in jail.”
Here are the links to the relevant parts of Washington State law:
http://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=9A.56.030
http://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=9A.56.040
http://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=9A.56.050
Allison who has known Dart for more than 12 years, knew her before any claims of cancer were made. “We really hit it off. She was a blast to hang out with. She was super sweet. She was fun.”
But Allison would come to have an experience with her own mother that would apparently shape Dart’s later behavior. Her mother was a cancer patient, which naturally brought Allison and Tracy together. Allison went through five years of being the primary caregiver for her mother who suffered through chemotherapy and radiation. Allison lost her mother in 2006. Tracy and Allison would talk about it, often crying about their mutual sadness. Later during the time the Hills owned the Benbow, Allison would serve Tracy when she came in. On Darts’s claimed chemotherapy days she would only ever order soda water and lime from Allison.
But Ian, a recovering alcoholic, had a very different experience with Tracy. “I’m not the alcohol police” he said, but he would see Tracy drinking Deep Eddy Vodka and soda or Mandarin Vodka and soda regardless of any claimed treatment. Once they compared notes after the alleged deception was revealed it appeared to them that she was aware that chemotherapy patients should not be drinking and that Allison was aware of this.
Still Allison too would like to see Dart get some kind of help. If she could talk to Tracy today she would say, “I’d ask her why she hates herself so much that she had to create this. She was loved. She didn’t need an illness to get friendship you know? She’s an awesome person. I just don’t understand. I’m sorry she’s got to go through it. It sucks.”
Ian said his comment to Dart would be, “Get some help. You need it. I love you to death but you lied to me and what you lied about is far greater than anything I’ve ever been through and you need help.”
Mathew Welch, owner of Auburn Volkswagen said, “I really want to see Tracy get some help. I’m not going to be part of any prosecution. I’m just going to write off the financial part. I think she needs help and I’d like to see her get it.”
Brian Bell, felt so strongly about Dart’s cause that he volunteered to let Dart shave his head in solidarity at an event once a money goal was reached He did not know at the time of course that Dart herself was shaving her head and eyebrows to apparently mimic the effects of chemotherapy.
He maintains a local blog that often promoted Dart’s fundraisers.
Dart’s case is still the subject of a very active investigation whose outcome is uncertain.
What does Bell think will happen?
“That’s also hard to say. If you read anything on social media in the first couple of weeks, there were plenty of “judge, jury, and executioners” letting you know what they’d like to happen,” he said, “And on the flip-side, there were many people that seemed to be so shocked, the fact she was being crucified in the court of public opinion was enough. For me, I just want to see the system work.”
Bell continued, ”I always liked Tracy. Whether she did or didn’t do what’s being reported, her life has just taken a drastic turn. Whatever’s going to happen hasn’t happened yet. I’d just say “Good luck and be well.”
