Woman Arrested for Using $37K GoFundMe Funds for Cruise

But investigators allege that the money was never used for medical care. Instead, they say Lewis spent the funds on herself, including a cruise.

The investigation began when the injured man’s father saw photos of Lewis posted on social media while she was on a cruise. He soon discovered the account’s funds had dwindled and contacted the police.

The police report revealed the account had over $40,000 in August 2024, but by March 24, 2025, it had been reduced to just over $3,000.

Authorities say Lewis allegedly withdrew or transferred more than $37,000 from the account.

One of the largest expenses they uncovered was a $6,200 payment tied to a Carnival Cruise Line ship sailing out of Miami. 

While media reports the ship is “Carnival Parade” it may have been Carnival Paradise, which sailed from Tampa in 2024, or then-Miami-based ships like Carnival Horizon, Carnival Sunrise, Carnival Magic, Carnival Conquest, or Carnival Celebration.

Police also found evidence of a wire transfer of more than $21,000 to another account.

Meanwhile, the injured man’s family said they never received any help from the fundraiser.

Lewis, 29, is now facing charges of theft by deception and receiving stolen property and was released on $10,000 bail. Her first hearing will take place on September 16, 2025.

According to Pennsylvania law, theft by deception is a felony of the third degree if the value is more than $2,000. If found guilty, the penalty is up to 7 years in prison and a fine of up to $15,000.

The penalty for receiving stolen property is also a felony of the third degree with the same prison time and fine applicable.

Misusing Funds for Cruises

Using stolen funds to pay for cruises might sound like the plot of a bad movie, but it happens more often than one would think.

Just last year in Florida, investigators charged 51-year-old Melissa English, the former church financial secretary of Amelia Baptist Church, with embezzling more than half a million dollars from her congregation between 2019 and 2024.

Some of that money, prosecutors say, went toward cruise tickets, along with Airbnb rentals and concert tickets.

In Virginia, Shannel Peoples-Hilliard, who served as business manager at a private school in Richmond, admitted to misusing nearly a quarter-million dollars of school funds from 2021 through mid-2024. Among her personal charges? A Royal Caribbean cruise. 

She just pleaded guilty in the case on September 4, 2025, and faces up to 20 years in prison.

In June 2025, a 64-year-old woman embarking on a Norwegian Cruise Line Alaska cruise was also arrested for allegedly embezzling thousands from a church in Wyoming.

Lissa Poirot

Lissa Poirot has been covering travel for more than a decade, including sites such as TripAdvisor, CruiseCritic, The Points Guy, Family Vacation Critic, and Family Traveller. Her love of travel has led Lissa to visit more than 43 countries and has her on a mission to see every state in the U.S. (only 4 states to go!). When she's not traveling, she's exploring new attractions and events on the weekends, be it in New York City or Philadelphia, as Lissa lives between both fabulous cities.