Disgraced Social Worker Pleads Guilty on Charges of Faking Cancer to Avoid Trial

Disgraced former Arapahoe County social worker Robin Niceta pleaded guilty to multiple forgery charges on Tuesday, October 8, after faking a cancer diagnosis in 2023 to avoid a criminal trial for falsely accusing Aurora Councilwoman Danielle Jurinsky of child abuse.

In early 2022, just a few months after Jurinsky took office as an at-large councilmember for Aurora, she went on a talk-radio show and called then-Aurora Police Chief Vanessa Wilson “trash.” At the time, Wilson was dating Niceta, who retaliated by giving an anonymous tip to the Arapahoe County Department of Human Services, where Niceta worked, claiming that Jurinsky was sexually abusing her own son. Wilson was fired in April 2022, a few months after Jurinsky’s comments, for mismanaging the department.

After an investigation found that Niceta had made the anonymous tip regarding Jurinsky, she was arrested in late 2022. While her case was making its way to trial, her lawyers attempted to get a delay in May 2023 by filing a report from a fictional “Dr. C Marquez,” who claimed Niceta had a rare form of brain cancer known as glioblastoma. Her lawyers also tried to have Niceta evaluated to see if she was fit to stand trial in light of her supposed diagnosis, according to the Office of the District Attorney for the 18th Judicial District.

“Further investigation revealed no one was licensed to practice medicine in New Mexico with that name,” according to the 18th Judicial District. “A local doctor with Denver Health reviewed the alleged brain cancer diagnosis and verified the paperwork contained numerous typographical errors and improperly used various medical terminology.”

Investigators found that the MRI scans Niceta’s lawyers had submitted were pictures from the Internet, and that a Facebook page for “New Mexico Oncology” had been created a short time before they requested the delay. The page was linked to an IP address connected to Niceta, and a phone number for “New Mexico Oncology” was also traced back to her, according to the 18th Judicial District.

“This defendant went to great lengths to fake a terminal illness and fabricate records in order to avoid facing justice,” says Chris Gallo, chief deputy district attorney for the 18th Judicial District, in an October 8 release announcing Niceta’s guilty plea. “The Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office spent countless hours gathering digital evidence and records which ultimately helped us unravel Niceta’s scam.”

In July 2023, a grand jury indicted Niceta on charges related to faking a cancer diagnosis; police arrested her in New Mexico and extradited her back to Colorado.

In May, Niceta, 42, was sentenced to four years in prison after a jury found her guilty of attempting to influence a public servant and making a false child-abuse report.    

Now, Niceta has pleaded guilty to two counts of attempting to influence a public servant, forgery, tampering with physical evidence, criminal impersonation and two counts of second-degree forgery. She will be sentenced on January 17.

“It’s absurd that a former social worker entrusted to protect children maliciously attempted to tear a family apart with false accusations against another public official,” John Kellner, district attorney for the 18th Judicial District, says in the release. “Her actions were spiteful, vindictive and wasted numerous county resources. I believe her nefarious conduct warrants additional time in the Department of Corrections.”