A woman faked a brain tumor. Reddit docs are sending her to prison.

The unbelievable, bizarre saga of Robin Niceta - a criminal brought to justice by a combination of a determined local politician and anonymous healthcare professionals on the medicine subreddit.
0:00 Introduction
1:02 Part 1: The Anonymous Tip
5:44 Part 2: The Brain Tumor
12:35 Part 3: r/medicine enters the chat
19:33 Part 4: A Return to Court
21:37 Epilogue
22:50 Conclusion
I'd like to thank a number of individuals for their willingness to discuss this case with me, including Ms. Jurinsky, several relevant lawyers, and a few individuals in Aurora who prefer to remain anonymous.
I appreciate that this video contains some relatively pointed criticism of a particular reporter. While that might seem harsh because he's certainly not the "bad guy" of this story, when I reached out to him about his error, he doubled down, the relevant video was removed from CBS Colorado's website without acknowledgment, his colleagues pretended his error was a good thing, and - to the best of my knowledge - he still hasn't apologized to Jurinsky.
References:
The Steffan Tubbs Show: 710knus.com/radioshow/the-ste... (audio clip used with permission - thanks Steffan!)
Niceta's arrest in May 2022:
- Colorado Sun: coloradosun.com/2022/05/16/va...
- Denver 7 News: www.denver7.com/news/local-ne...
Niceta's alleged sexual harassment of women she was investigating:
- Denver 7 News: www.denver7.com/news/local-ne...
- People: people.com/crime/social-worke...
Jurinsky's defamation lawsuit:
- CBS Colorado: www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news...
- The Denver Post: www.denverpost.com/2023/01/20...
Kristin Nichols lawsuit:
- The Denver Post: www.denverpost.com/2023/01/26...
- The Gazette: gazette.com/colorado-watch/co... (the details relevant to Nichols start about halfway through the article)
Initial hearing to discuss Niceta's brain tumor and competency:
- The Denver Post: www.denverpost.com/2023/03/30...
Information on UT Austin Mass Murderer Charles Whitman:
- Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles...
- Brainmind.com: brainmind.com/Case5.html
Charles Whitman's suicide note: schoolshooters.info/sites/def...
CBS Colorado's April 28th story revealing Niceta's medical records and MRI: www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news... (Note: CBS Colorado appears to have removed the video of Maass' report from their website, but it is still present on questionably legal third party news aggregator sites). The relevant clips are used here under Fair Use for commentary and criticism. See: Hosseinzadeh v. Klein, 276 F.Supp.3d 34 (S.D.N.Y. 2017); Equals Three, LLC v. Jukin Media, Inc., 139 F. Supp. 3d 1094 (C.D. Cal. 2015). www.leagle.com/decision/infdc...
Reddit thread discussing Niceta's MRI (April 28, 2023): / fake_medical_diagnosis...
My Twitter thread proving that Niceta's MRI was fake (April 29, 2023): / 1652499762594336768
Original source of the coronal glioblastoma from Radiopaedia.org (posted May 2010): radiopaedia.org/cases/gliobla...
Original source of the sagital glioblastoma from Wikimedia Commons (posted Feb 2012): commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...
People v. Niceta (Case: D0032022CR001091). Motion to have the court order a competency evaluation. Submitted by DA Beth McCann. May 11, 2023.
People v. Niceta (Case: D0032022CR001091). Pretrial hearing. May 15, 2023.
CBS Colorado's follow-up story on May 15, 2023: www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news...
Image Credits:
Charles Whitman: Public Domain
UT Austin Observation Tower: © 1980 Larry D. Moore. Licensed under CC BY 4.0. Downloaded from Wikimedia Commons, June 2023.

[@StrongMed]

UPDATE VIDEO ( kzbin.info/www/bejne/bpfLcmmMp92VhJI ): Niceta and her mother were both indicted for additional crimes related to this scam. Niceta's new charges include: three counts of attempting to influence a public servant, two counts of forgery of a public record filed with a public office, tampering with physical evidence, criminal impersonation for benefit gain, and three counts of forgery. The charges for Niceta's mother, Janice Dudley, include attempting to influence a public servant, tampering with physical evidence, and two counts of forgery.

[@Chichi-sl2mq]

I think her lawyers should be investigated by whatever Bar they belong to. Lawyers take oath, wilfully and knowingly obstructing the course of justice is definitely not right.

[@nineteenfortyeight6762]

How could you fight extradition between states?

[@tintinismybelgian]

The mother has a trial date set for March 2024, and Niceta's is set for April 2024.

[@huma474]

@@nineteenfortyeight6762 Due to the nature of the 10th amendment in the US constitution jurisdiction, basically the limit of the courts authority, from one state court doesn't automatically apply in another. So for example if you lived in Maine the police in Arizona can't just show up and arrest you as they don't have authority there. If a criminal is located in another state then what is supposed to happen is that a warrant has to be requested for that person from the Governor of the State where they want them, Colorado in this case, and then sent to the Governor of the State where the person is located. At that point the Governor of the state where the person is located has the ability to reject that request if they want to, though that's usually rare. Fighting the extradition would be to force the local police who might arrest them to prove they have that Governors warrant. Basically issues like that are part of the reason why the FBI exists - a criminal could live in one state, say Indiana, and rob banks in another, say in Ohio, and the Ohio police can't touch them because Ohio's laws don't apply in Indiana. The FBI could issue a federal warrant for the person because they crossed state lines to commit their crime, but the local police on either side wouldn't be able to do anything to the person if they didn't violate the laws in that state specifically

[@casev799]

I have not once heard of a person *actually* facing charges after something like this. It's nice to see a surprise, although it shouldn't have happened anyway

[@missvidabom]

Was immediately sus when they claimed radiologists have time to photoshop.

[@FeedMeSalt]

Ehhh if it's in Canada they likely do. I get booked for 1 hour of work and review. I'm done in 15 minutes. No fucking way my images need 40+ minutes to review.

[@FeedMeSalt]

Let's not forget radiology is one of the fastest methods into medicine. With just two years of education which could actually start in grade 12 of highschool you can become a radio tech and run the machines. Usually the easiest routes are walked by the less motivated or capable.

[@richmondvand147]

truth

[@asmrtpop2676]

@@FeedMeSaltIt’s actually much simpler than that. If you have the money you go to the more expensive education the end.

[@missvidabom]

@@FeedMeSalt Radiology is actually really hard. Being a tech has nothing to do with anything. It isn’t a “path” to become a radiologist. You have to do all the prerequisites to then spend 4 years in medical school, then do a four year residency with or without a transitional year. And it’s extremely competitive. Radiology is not remotely easy.

[@snipoxkillo1099]

Brian maass didn't know nothin about Brain Mass :(

[@BL-hw4mn]

Brian Maass didn’t use his brain mass

[@renatatostada3318]

Thank you for this, I didn't understand why the guy kept saying "yes that's actually his name." Wow you really can't make this stuff up lol

[@AleisterCrowleyMagus]

@@renatatostada3318 why? This name is *not* uncommon (I have friends from Spanish backgrounds with this surname in their families)

[@freshlybakedsporks]

@@AleisterCrowleyMagus it’s not about the actual name, it’s that “Brian Maass” looks really similar to “brain mass” which is a term for brain cancer. So it’s funny that this guy just happens to be a big player in a story about a brain tumor, when his name kinda looks like the phrase “brain mass”

[@Matthew-xb1zn]

too soon 😄@@BL-hw4mn

[@anluu7626]

Niceta in handcuffs: “And I would have gotten away with it too, if it weren't for you (med)dling kids!”

[@ladyt618]

😂😂

[@nycrsny3406]

🤣🤣

[@Ditters2008]

Well played!

[@fariesz6786]

Scooby Doo MD

[@aazhie]

Love it😂

[@HaveaBiscuitt]

As WILD as this all is, the thing I can’t get over is the name Brian Maass with this story lmaooo

[@IrethAmandil]

Can you explain why this is significant? I don't get it lol

[@jaybee2337]

@@IrethAmandilBrian Maass looks a lot like “brain mass”, another way to call a tumor.

[@IrethAmandil]

@@jaybee2337 Oooh that went right over my head! Haha. Thanks :)

[@fariesz6786]

🤦

[@Eleanorscatmom]

@@jaybee2337 Thank you. I was far too dumb to get it lol. Maybe I need a Catscan... (I am rebuilt with some metal so MRIs and I are not compatible lol).

[@paigeharms1991]

My husband actually had an ongoing court case when he was diagnosed with Leukemia & subsequently became paralyzed during his treatment. The amount of hoops & red tape we had to go through to prove he was actually ill in the hospital to get court dates postponed was INSANE. I can't believe she got away with this, even for one single second.

[@KiKi-tf8rv]

Well, it was much easier for her to jump through the hoops since she was actually in great health. Sorry you guys had to go through that.🙏

[@sammylincroft]

​@@KiKi-tf8rv I feel like this is legitimately a huge problem with so many things. Like for instance I have Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and am bedbound, but the illness has a broad range of severity. The patients who struggle the most to get adaquate disability supports are those who need the supports most because it takes a lot of competency to jump through all the hoops of getting the paperwork submitted, appeals (cause disability is almost always denied on first pass to "deter" people who don't really need it) etc. I am only managing to apply for NDIS because my family is helping me a ton and I am very mildly affected cognitively compared to physically. But if I had less family help and less cognitive ability I would be much more deserving of help and much less likely to recieve it. I know others in that position and it is heartbreaking.

[@KiKi-tf8rv]

@@sammylincroft It really is. I’m so sorry you’ve had to go through this. I recently had to go through this with my dad who had a stroke. It took two years and one denial to get him approved for disability just to cover him for a year until he was retirement age. He had to move in with me and his doctors wouldn’t release him to work at all. He really couldn’t. I thought the stress of it all was going to give him another stroke. Cognitively, it was so difficult for him to jump through the hoops. I worry for people who don’t have family, how on earth would they manage in that situation?! It really is a problem that it’s basically a full time job to get the help you need. You need health, strength, and a sharp mind to do that, the very thing people in this situation don’t have!

[@spazzyisopod8220]

The fact that the prosecution didn't call for another impartial doctor or even verification is lazy on their part. No one wanted justice except the victims.

[@johnnye87]

Hey now, they phoned a cell number they were given by the defendant, and someone on the other end said they were definitely a doctor and the scans were totally real - what more do you want?

[@spazzyisopod8220]

@@johnnye87 you're right its the best they could do. Lol

[@peppermintgal4302]

I suspect it was more a failure of imagination. And the prosecution's behavior since then has only indicated that they're fully invested in bringing justice down on Niceta. Though there's apparently a question of if they're going to be recused from the case, since they are themselves victims of Niceta's scam.

[@marquisdelafayette1929]

Go check out The Thing About Pam. The story is even wilder with the amount of people she lied to who believed her after murdering them for an insurance payout. Even framing her friends husband for the crime (despite having LITERAL VIDEO EVIDENCE of his alibi!!). She would just change her story whenever caught in a lie and the cops, DA, judge (childhood friends of the DA) would act it wasn’t a big deal. Surely the woman who had bullied her friend dying of cancer into changing the beneficiary to her days before her death wasn’t worth looking into . Promising to take care of her daughters (which she absolutely did NOT do).

[@PeterShipley1]

"chain of evidence"

[@yessi7961]

As a 4th year medical student that is terrible at reading images, the second I saw those images I wondered why the tumor moved around and didn't distort the ventricles. 😂

[@jaybee2337]

As an accountant with no medical background, same. Those were so bad how could they fool anyone?

[@rubievale]

I'm a musician, also with no medical training, and I noticed the lovely, symmetrical ventricles, with no midline shift, so it's baffling how no one involved noticed anything.

[@oz_jones]

It's... uhh... a new kind of tumor. Never seen before. Or since. 'tis a medical mystery! Honest.

[@andan2293]

I've never examined an MRI image and I've noticed the photoshop. The "tumor" just looks like floating there, let alone different position and usage of the same picture.

[@momopeachies]

Also the resolution change between the "tumor" and the surrounding tissue. They used the really high resolution magnet in that one specific spot, apparently

[@GamerSapss]

"the local news reporter, he isn't the focus of this whole saga" While true, I don't think it can be understated the harm he was causing with it. If the situation hadn't been probed further, there could have been very real issues with this. The fact he didn't think of asking a third party after having gotten concerns on whether or not it was true, and instead went back to someone who lied and didn't think they would lie again was insanely negligent of him, and honestly a fireable offence

[@StrongMed]

I can't remember if I mention this in the videos on this story or not, but I had multiple people from local Denver media who know him professionally reach out to me to express their confusion about this because he's usually a very solid and respected reporter.

[@marshallc6215]

​@@StrongMed i don't want to make any specific accusations, but i hypothesize that given the nature of actions which led to her alleged retaliations, he may have had a reason to willingly ignore the truth.

[@danamummabear9799]

This particular case disgusts me, my father actually died from this exact type of brain tumour back in 2001 when I was 9 years old, he died at age 43. I can't believe a person would fake something like this, watching what my Dad went through was the most horific thing I've ever witnessed and I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy

[@Annie_Annie__]

My friend died around 3 years ago from glioblastoma. She was only in her early 30s. It makes me so angry that this woman faked having glioblastoma because I saw what it did to my friend, to her spouse, to her family, and to her friends. And I can only imagine how it affected you and your family. This Niceta woman is little better than a monster to me. I hope you and your family are doing well and that this video/event wasn’t too upsetting for you. 💜

[@ir9567]

awww xxx

[@drzerogi]

Sorry for your loss. I had a brain tumor myself discovered less than 2 years ago; effecting my vision and equilibrium. Lukily the tumor was able to be safely removed, but yeah, it's serious business.

[@l-train7876]

People lie.

[@kathyinwonderlandl.a.8934]

@@drzerogiglad your tumor was safely removed as that’s hard to do 💚

[@DerpyWinston]

I'm a Colorado resident, and I hadn't even heard of this case until Ann Reardon directed me to your channel. This is astounding. As a student journalist, I feel embarrassed that this established news agency with reputable reporters dropped the ball so many times in so many ways. It lead to further confusion about this woman's actions, and then they tried to act as though her getting caught was directly attributed to their news story without any sort of accountability. This was so messy, and you can tell this woman is used to coercing people when she held a position of power. She had no issue trying to coerce the courts, and she almost did! You, sir, are amazing for bringing this to light and doing diligent research, and kudos to the practitioners on Reddit who raised their red flags high so this woman got caught!

[@StrongMed]

Thanks!

[@YesUrJudgmental]

Exactly. They didn't fact check. That's mass media today.

[@relo999]

This type of stuff is sadly extremely common within journalism. Working within the tech world and academia and having some minor interactions with the national media of my country, it's my firm view that journalists (and classic media as a whole) suffer badly issues regarding validity. From just blindly copying what the person providing the news says and getting hostile when pointing out issues to outright and extreme bias in reporting and content their off. And I even know a case of outright collusion between (supposedly) competing news sources to tune a story so every outlet has the same message. And when issues are pointed out and accepted by the journalist it's not uncommon an article only getting a note about it issues of the article or silently deleted long after the damage of misinformation had been done. And there is a very obvious issue of bias when they report on groups critical of certain forms of news media. I always desperately hope its a severe case of the dunning kruger effect. Though I know that's far from always the case. I do hope you're better than that and wish you the best of luck.

[@swisstroll3]

It seems that Colorado is not near the top media market.

[@GeorgeSukFuk]

As a Colorado resident, you should be well aware that our state is full to the brim with goofballs who just swallow up whatever the TV tells them and it all becomes a self sustaining cycle and this story is maybe the tip top of the iceberg

[@GhostofJamesMadison]

Any human that would steal a child from their mother out of spite should never he allowed to interact with this world on a human level ever again.

[@zkfnd859]

Strange that the court didn't summon an independent doctor/expert for their opinion on this case. Anywhere else that is done!

[@nycrsny3406]

Waited for that part while watching the video and it never came lol. Baffling to say the least.

[@Ash-mo7oc]

It's because other government officials are involved. From the police to child services and possibly to the news station (after the incidents with CNN and Fox involving corruption it's a possibility this news station is no different).

[@rabbit0664]

You and me both. Also crazy how they kept eating up whatever she threw at them.

[@kaemincha]

Courts caring less and less about professional opinions. Color me surprised!

[@TheGahta]

Its not the courts responsibility, its the one of the other party to do their due diligence and get their own witness A courts responsibility is to be impartial, so where you three just confusing terms or ill informed or even malicious? The response will give it away 😂

[@yourresume373]

That brain scan… even as a layperson how does one let that slide?? It looks superimposed, they didn’t even try to fit it into the scan. I’m no doctor but I’ve seen MRIs before. That doesn’t even look natural.

[@tyoung521]

I heard about this situation from Ann Reardon on her How To Cook That channel. Niceta sounds like she’s a horrible person. I feel awful for all the ones she has wronged, especially with the children involved 😢🤬.

[@Em22-wtf]

😂 Same, just came here from Anns video, lol! It sounded like such a fascinating case I looked it up immediately... Matter of fact, I have to go back & re-watch the end of her video bc I was looking through Dr. Strongs chnl for the first video he did on this situation & I completely missed what Ann even said after she mentioned this case 😂

[@cats1900]

Same here! I'm new to this channel, but Ann's recommendation brought me here.

[@ungarischfsikurs743]

Same here :D

[@nursenightmare6245]

Same!

[@celeca7]

Same lol

[@literalantifaterrorist4673]

i’m just an EMT and spotted how fucked up the MRI was in 2 seconds 💀

[@andeggbreaks]

Also, as a psychology grad, I loved that you mentioned how obstructions in the brain can lead to personality shifts. It's very interesting

[@CatFish107]

There is a different mechanism where obstructions in the bowel can also lead to changes in a person's irritability and aggression.

[@oz_jones]

The case of Phineas Gage is also super interesting.

[@exosproudmamabear558]

Autoimmune diseases that affect brain functions does that too I just woke up from a rage attack(I have no idea how to describe it since it is a weird shit. My family controlled the situation and put me to sleep since it usually helps) due to autoimmune enselfalits(fuck corona). I basically blamed my mother for giving birth to me, try to jump out of the window to kill myself, cried, screamed and scratched my face because there was dust smell in the room (Believe me it is not even psychological it is just smells,intense light, sounds and temperature changes cause attacks.) I am aggressive,grumpy and overly sensitive since the attack started. I literally fought with every doctor in the hospital in my city where I got my education( I am a doctor) because they were idiots(I still think they deserved, with or without my disease.I just regret I tried to control my emotions) Anyway I hope I get treatment soon or I am gonna do something shitty soon, I have already done a lot of damage truth be told. I need therapy after this shit.

[@longliverocknroll5]

That the prosecutor missed this and never checked any of the claims is ridiculous. They failed everybody here as well and should 100% have been up for review for their license to practice law.

[@makslargu5799]

In all fairness though, I think this happened due to a couple different assumptions that in nearly all other cases are reasonable to make. First, I’m pretty sure it is huge ethical violation and a crime for an attorney to knowingly submit a falsified document, so the prosecutor knew for this to be submitted, it must have passed her defense’s smell test - same with her performance. Next, it is wild to photo shop and manufacture false medical records or documents in general. I think court dox are kept in perpetuity so anyone at any time could look up those records in future and find they were falsified. So you’re leaving evidence of what I assume is perjury and/or obstruction of justice just lying around. I’m not an expert but I feel like this is not a common kind of occurrence at all, so while yes they should have a basic checklist for indications of forged documents, I can see why the prosecutor had become complacent in regard to this issue.

[@StoutShako]

They're laypeople when it comes to medical stuff, calm down. Just because you're a competent person in one field, it doesn't make you automatically competent in another.

[@longliverocknroll5]

@@StoutShako I’m not “competent”, that’s the point. Also, it’s literally their job to *consult experts and find flaws*

[@longliverocknroll5]

@@makslargu5799 if a person has been accused of committing mass fraud and bribery and then magically claims, out of nowhere, to have INCREDIBLY rapid-progressing brain cancer, that’s a red flag that lawyers kill to have as a “gotcha” in court because it doesn’t happen.

[@warbler1984]

CBS Colorado should have owned their mistakes....pissing on your leg and telling you its raining

[@aristideregnier4883]

modern media stopping the lies and even acknowledging it? Complete fantasy.

[@maker0824]

Just came here from Ann Reardon on the channel How To Cook That. This is a pretty well made video. Good job.

[@awakenthechosen]

Spore Galactic Adventures! Nice!

[@wa11ie]

photoshopping the mris is the most bonkers thing i‘ve ever heard. my aunt and my sister are radiology nurses and they do not have the time to sit down and photoshop mri images for patient concinience for every patient.

[@snipoxkillo1099]

Brain maass must be the most funny thing out of this all 🤣🤣

[@vizluv]

😂😂😂😂😂

[@atrapdr6251]

I think I’m missing something, why is that funny?

[@krispyso]

⁠@@atrapdr6251it sound and looks very similar to saying “brain mass” 🧠

[@auroriangore]

​@@atrapdr6251the reporters last name is maass which is similar to mass; like a brain mass such as a tumor! it's a pun sort of

[@Aurora3242]

It would be very simple to find the truth - both lawyers take her for a fresh brain scan, it's either there, or it's not.

[@gailiemae93-kt7qx]

Brian Maass and CBS have always been this way. He's been a reporter for years and makes stuff up whenever it suits him. Too sad. This whole story is larger than I even imagined it could be! As far as verifying those med docs, I cannot believe the Prosecutor (or their investigator) didn't do it! Police cannot normally get evidence like that without a subpoena and even then, a signed, notarized verification of who gave it to them. With the defense providing it - they still have to follow the same policy (minus the subpoen). smh... Great detail! Thanks!

[@Virdice]

Sure, Radiology deleted necrosis, Also the Cardiologiest drew with a crayon on the ECG to straighten them ST so that they won't look as elevated. Sure, why not?

[@llcdrdndgrbd]

Doesn’t your local hospital alter patient records to look less scary? They must not care about patients mental well-being /s

[@exosproudmamabear558]

Gotta make it look proper or someone will be sad

[@drmollycules]

As a former resident, Aurora is forth circle or lower in uncanny police hell. The police chief prior to the one mentioned here was the fifth in 4 years, and left possibly because the whole force covered up for a fellow officer found drunk on duty in his cruiser, who of course was later promoted. Also, the Elijah McClain tragedy happened shortly after I moved and was just ineffably horrific on so many levels, not to mention the cops fired for “jokingly” re-enacting his death and taking some selfies to commemorate their totally bizarro lack of humanity. Now this, too.

[@nj8375]

Brian maass and CBS Colorado seem to be in it with Niceta. That article and interview was a puff piece to help niceta's cause..... as they seem overly eager to amp sympathy for her condition, willfully denying all the red flags even when pointed out by multiple experts. Niceta's muck is more deep and goes more wide. I hope in the next chapter of Niceta's story, Brian maass's and CBS Colorado's relationship with her is also uncovered.

[@nineteenfortyeight6762]

I was wondering what she has over him!

[@maybelore]

as someone who has lived in fear of CPS growing up due to them knocking on our door far too many times, this one hit close to home. I don't believe there were any outright malicious CPS callers, (like this person) rather it was people "just trying to help" because my parents refused to abide by their social standards while raising me and my siblings. I'm sorry that treating kids like fellow human beings and letting them make their own choices like what they do or do not want to wear looks like abuse to you! Man, I love my parents and am super glad that they are very protective and also smart.

[@thecaptainsnark]

As soon as I saw the MRIs I was like '....is the tumor in different spots?" I wonder when AI will be used to fake things like this

[@lazchurchyard1229]

Me in court, 5 years from now, in a fascist sliding government, watching an AI video of me doing crimes I did not commit. 🙃👈

[@davidfortier6976]

AI can also be used to detect AI forgeries. I don't know exactly how effective it is, but if we need it will get better pretty quickly.

[@kelsiemcveety999]

Okay this HAS to be a netflix documentary. What a trail of trauma shes left behind

[@daaara]

Props to you for reaching out to the prosecutor -- and props to councilwoman Jurinsky. That woman is a bulldog, and I mean that in the best way possible. The world needs more people with her determination, resilience, and sense of justice.

[@Nyx_ofthenight]

It is very concerning to think about what could be slipping through the cracks in court cases that don't get publicized. I'm not a medical professional at all, don't have anything beyond first aid training, and those images were so blatantly, glaringly fake even to me. Though I am a researcher who uses CT scans and 3D modeling to do digital dissections, so I'm more familiar sure, but what I work on aren't brains, or even humans. It's hard to imagine so many people falling for it.

[@liserjones8465]

Ann from How To Cook That sent me - fascinating story - well done!

[@bernadettemarietavendale7055]

Me too

[@Konani_the_unicorn_queen]

same

[@cake_for_breakfast]

Doesn't surprise me as a healthcare professional and published researcher. I've got stories for days of reporters getting down right nasty, or just ignore you, if you try to privately explain to them they've made a mistake. They're lack of integrity goes without consequence to their career but is affecting their own audience and the public at large.😢

[@capitan__cat]

I started with learning electrolyte abnormalities from you when I was in med school and now we're here. What a ride.

[@eldrichnemo9312]

Another viewer from Ann Reardon's How to Cook That channel and what in the WORLD. People are so vindictive and ridiculous but this is a whole other level. You did a great job breaking down this complex story and make it easy to understand. I work in healthcare too and will take a look at more of your videos!

[@Omnis2]

Brian Maass LMAOOO. That's the best part

[@kataseiko]

The biggest problem to date probably is that there isn't any actual oversignt to child protective services. For a lawyer, you can go to be board and raise an issue with them. For a doctor, there are places where their license can be invalidated. CPS has zero oversight and they have to actually break a law to be held accountable. If this woman would have stayed at a single case, nothing would have ever happened.

[@loras507]

mad respect for not giving all the details on photoshopping the images.

[@RokeJulianLockhart.s13ouq]

I disagree. The information would be as useful for those in relevant professions to determine modified medical imagery.

[@loras507]

@@RokeJulianLockhart.s13ouq I would like to think the relevant professionals would be able to identify such things of their own volition, especially considering this entire video is about how a group of such professionals were easily able to do just that.

[@RokeJulianLockhart.s13ouq]

@@loras507Likewise.

[@criticalmoss]

I appreciate that you didn't elaborate on everything suspicious about the records to avoid sophistication in falsifying documents. There are a lot of videos online that directly teach people how to do elicit things and I appreciate the people who avoid contributing to the issue.

[@mushyroom9569]

Don’t praise him for contributing to the already overwhelming amount of ignorance in the world with his censorship. You don’t make people less evil by denying them knowledge, you just make them stupider.

[@criticalmoss]

@@mushyroom9569 🤣 find something valid to get upset about.

[@sammygirl6910]

I'm a lay person, and it looked like the tumor had moved position to me. TBF, I've had cancer twice, so have seen a series of MRI images of my own tumors (not brain images).

[@psycam]

This was a very well written and well produced video. I've enjoyed your usual content, but you could potentially branch into investigative medical journalism. 😂

[@larkefedifero]

sorry to hear she will not be getting any jail time. thats dispicable and sad - what a pathetic JUDGE.

[@StrongMed]

No, she definitely will. She's just stalling it as long as the system allows. I wouldn't blame either judge - the wheels of justice turn really slowly sometimes. IANAL, but I think it's highly likely she'll be behind bars by the end of April.

[@BobCrochets]

Thank you for the fantastic investigation and video essay. Made my way here from HTCT, but will likely stick around for some good ol' "Standford" education. :)

[@NewRecollection]

Any doctor who ever looks at noncon CTs, not even MRI images, will immediately recognize the "what is different between these 3 images". Kudos to you because my first thought was that they googled a glio and submitted them

[@cthult7856]

As a BMS with previous histopathology experience, this is infuriating. Not only is the photoshop job poor with the lack of visual interference of the tumour, but this act of faking something that is almost always fatal, just to escape the consequences of your own actions, is deplorable... face accountability and justice, coward.

[@traceyxxrose7454]

👏🏽 👏🏽 👏🏽 thank you for putting in the time and effort to expose this woman. I don’t have cancer, but I do suffer from NMO and have multiple spinal cord lesions, causing mobility issues and pain. It’s disgusting someone would fake having medical issues, although considering her history prior, I’m not shocked, sadly. Also, shame on the journalists for perpetuating this madness and not admiring they were wrong.

[@Likes_Trains]

My uncle died of a glioblastoma tumor a few years ago, and seeing how his personality completely deteriorated in the last few weeks was so sad. He became a complete recluse and alcoholic, his house was so pilled up with cans you couldn't walk. I am lucky that he left me a saxophone when he passed away

[@babeandbaba]

Do we suspect Mr Maasse previously knew Niceta? It is hard to understand why he would have pushed this clearly very made up dx so hard.

[@NachoPlumb]

Colorado politics. All of the news agencies in Colorado have a strict agenda against everything Danielle is fighting for.

[@michelenichele294]

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Aurora, appears to have been somewhat negligent in their handling of this case. But, Mass’s articles caught your attention, which resolved this fraud. Bravo! Thanks for sharing.🙏

[@s.v.2796]

This is sick. My husband is suffering a brain lesion. It's located right next to the amygdala. He is almost completely physically incapacitated and has memory problems. It's devastating. Also his CAT scan, and MRI, was clear and focused when presented to me. All shots were included.

[@LoudWaffle]

Having the timeline on the side while telling this story was absolutely perfect, made it sooo easy to follow along, great video!

[@jillcullis4649]

That was outstanding. Danielle and others indeed deserve Justice. Those of us who know and love Danielle are so very thankful for your assistance in this case.

[@naomihoriuchi7592]

WOW! So disappointing, the response from that “journalism team”. At least you know you persevered in doing the right thing, regardless of being dismissed, and then completely unacknowledged in the end 😂 Well done Prof Strong - thank you for caring!

[@jennamartell3910]

Here from Anne Reardon's channel. Interesting case!

[@hidgik]

Soon Hollywood will be ready with a blockbuster medical thriller. with photoshop as the main villain and a murderous maniac as the second villain.

[@viralgayguy]

I didn’t get why you were drawing attention to Brian Mass’s name until 2/3 of the way through the video. Made me crack up when it hit me.

[@djrockssss]

Ann Reardon sent me here! Happy to hear that Reddit and people like yourself are doing the right thing

[@Matthew-xb1zn]

As an MS patient, I find this a *great* way to discover your channel~ Thanks for putting this up!!

[@gags4u2]

So they may have gotten away with it if they didn't fake medical records

[@nk8407]

I mean, probably not. Eventually the court would want her medically evaluated. Probably she thought if she was forthcoming with "records" no one would look any further.

[@ajstramaski6211]

I used to work for a personal injury lawyer. Medical records from hospitals and doctors all come with signed and notarized documentation. The prosecutors should have been really aware there was an issue and Jurinsky was the only one to question why those things weren’t there.

[@erodriguez6604]

Truly one of the best videos I’ve seen while on my way to clinic 😂 My PD definitely will be hearing about this while they precept me lol thanks Dr. Strong for providing me with the story of the week 😂

[@whackjjob1972]

Fascinating story. Thanks for making this video. As to CBS news and why they haven't owned their mistakes...follow the money...

[@HaveaBiscuitt]

PHENOMENAL video! Thorough, easy to follow, entertaining, informative. Thank you!!

[@SmolTrailer]

I would put something like "faked cancer" somewhere in the title of this video -- for the algoritmo or KZbin search. I came from How 2 Cook That and it took me a while to find this video 😅😅😅 anyways great stuff! *Edit: He did it 😊

[@missgeography5672]

Ann Readon brought me Kudos Doc!!

[@BL-hw4mn]

Shoutout to Ann Reardon for sending me here!

[@andeggbreaks]

Great video. I loved the timeline graphic you included, it made the events easy to follow. I wish all videos recapping any past events would do this as I can have trouble in particular remembering who's who in a narrative. Thanks for your work.

[@kiwo579]

yo props dude this video is super well put together

[@hida1998]

This whole case is so bonkers. The guys name being Brian Mass feels straight out of Ace Attorney.

[@NotALotOfColonial_SpaghettiToG]

Ace attorney feels like a non-euclidean courtroom drama, but life imitates art..

[@misterbrickest]

Side note: Charles Whitman also was to found with Dexedrine (dextroamphetamine) and I absolutely believe stimulant use, at the very least, exacerbated the situation.

[@animeluchia5405]

As an Austinite born and raised, and as the daughter of a UT of Austin graduate, I knew I heard that name somewhere, and when you said he was having issues, I started to think… and I was right. Did not expect to hear about the UT Tower Shooting today. Been a while since I thought about it… I think that tower is still off limits… of course this all took place before my father was even born, but even he knew of the story and told me one day when I was… probably a kid too young to grasp the gravity of it. Didn’t leave any damage though… in fact, to this day, my dream is still to make it into UT. Been my dream since I was a child, and my dad was still in school. My dad doesn’t really sing UT’s praises anymore, he realizes they’re really elitist and focused more on forcing students out of classes so that the only that stay are the determined ones, but still… it’s still my dream to go…

[@barbjalcorn]

Wow you received some traffic from Anne Reardon in Australia with yours truly also. “Don’t skewer me “. I’ll have to remember that one! Great job mate 🇦🇺❤️

[@skg069]

Lawyer here. So this is not my jurisdiction but it sounds like the court had never actually declared her not competent, but had been petitioned by the defense to do so. That’s consistent with procedure in my jurisdiction but the next step is an independent examination by a court appointed doctor. They tried that and were told her health precluded it. However, none of that means the court had signed off on her competency. They just hadn’t finalized it yet. So saying that the system needs to change indicates a lack of understanding about how the system actually works. Not surprising because you’re a doctor (I’d be lost in a medical setting). Good sleuthing work but I think the court would have gotten there eventually because every jurisdiction I know of requires independent verification of competency by a court appointed expert.

[@StrongMed]

I appreciate your input here! >...it sounds like the court had never actually declared her not competent, but had been petitioned by the defense to do so. That’s consistent with procedure in my jurisdiction but the next step is an independent examination by a court appointed doctor. They tried that and were told her health precluded it. You are correct. The court had not declared her incompetent, and had indeed ordered her to be evaluated by an independent doctor. Although the identity and specialty of that doctor is not in public records, it was supposed to occur at Colorado Mental Health Institute at Pueblo (i.e. a psychiatric hospital), which implies the evaluation would have been conducted by a psychiatrist. That might be logical protocol (as most declaration of incompetency are likely related to mental illness), but given this one was not, it's conceivable Niceta could have fooled them. I didn't learn this before I filmed the video, but the MRI images that she had submitted to court were actually different than the ones her mother provided to the CBS Colorado. Ironically, the court-submitted images (which I have since seen) were far more believable. (Why she changed them, I have no idea.) So, combining an evaluation by a psychiatrist without any specific experience with brain tumors, medical records which superficially look legit, and plausible MRI images, I can imagine the court-selected independent doctor declaring her incompetent. > ...but I think the court would have gotten there eventually... Despite what I just said above, I agree with you. From the video transcript: "For what it’s worth, the judge does not seem to have been as gullible as the prosecutor, Niceta’s prior lawyers, or the news media. After reviewing some of the court documents and transcripts, I think the judge and court would probably have caught this scam, without our assistance. But the system still should not have allowed Niceta to come remotely close to getting away with this. As the judge said himself, 'it could have led to a dismissal of this case if I had found incompetency. I did not grant that. But that was the tone and tenor of where this was going.' "

[@hellomello258]

This is the first video I've ever seen from. Only a few minutes in and you have a fan due to your factual and straightforward coverage and logical analysis

[@nothing4mepls973]

It's a miracle that someone working for the government was held accountable. Usually, they use their position to abuse with impunity.

[@syntaxerorr]

Fist time watching a video of yours. I really like how you lay everything out & explain everything.

[@JohnSmith-ef2rn]

Niceta is a monster and a fool. To think the prosecutor did not even think to check if these records were true, is shocking.

[@lutra-lutra]

that was a facinating story, thank you very much

[@ltisenotem]

It's amazing the court didn't verify it. My country there's no way you could make it through a court case with faked medical documents, there's way too many loop holes. You'd have to be in kahoots with more than one person in the medical feild

[@darthplagueis13]

I'm amazed that apparently, you don't need the doctor who diagnosed whatever condition allegedly makes someone incompetent to stand trial, to appear as a witness in court.

[@montananerd8244]

Great program!!! Wow, I almost wish this was your normal content, but I'm not going to distract anyone from offering high quality medical enrichment education! Can't understand most of your videos, but appreciate you using this platform in such a positive way. Will Def check back periodically for any more stories!! Given what I see out there covering criminal scams & crimes w medical elements, tho, if u have the time, you could probably do very very well with a 2nd channel in true crime, I haven't seen anyone fill the MD niche this well, and with the right type of voice for storytelling. Best of luck anyway

[@Alphacentauri819]

I really enjoy your channel and this was an interesting, well-researched, well put together, story. I worked in cardiac nursing and remember reading news reports that had glaring inaccuracies, misinformation. The issue often is that people don't know what they don't know. It's usually only when you're very knowledgeable (in a given area) that you know what to look for and what is obvious nonsense. Many people are unaware of their own blind spots (or that they even have them), cognitive distortions, biases, and therefore can't consider what needs to be further questioned. Also, the reporter, not admitting his errors and lack of proper, deeper, investigation, points to a larger societal issue of shame causing us to do anything but admit that we sometimes fail. His "correction" in an attempt to not lose face, made it worse, due to that aforementioned ignorance. Humility and vulnerability are lacking in many realms in society (not that society makes those easy) and are ways to take ownership without falling prey to self flagellation. Additionally, the woman responsible for this chaotic, domino effect of hurting so many, sounds very much like she's in the cluster B wheelhouse. Definitely narcissistic (which I know is way overused nowadays, but she actually fits the DSM-V criteria). People in general, courts, reporters, are ill-equipped to understand, fully comprehend, the lying, manipulation, at any cost, to meet whatever "need" they have. The person is often operating in a very distorted reality, with them as the egocentric center, and others are merely avatars, who are in their way or supply for their needs. Their moral compass is not the same, and they can appear quite "together" at times, and believable at times. Many people think that mental illness will be obvious, and often it is not presenting the way you might think. Also, many project the way they would be onto others. So, if they wouldn't lie so grievously, falsify medial records, they can't comprehend that someone else would. Humans are very complex, multifaceted, nuanced, and also blind to our own blindness. Developing introspection and metacognition, deep ongoing curiosity, would behoove us all.

[@aristideregnier4883]

that is absolutely fucking insane that those records weren't....literally examined. Is this part of the incompetency crisis?

[@coryc9040]

Wow this is wild. Well presented.

[@barbh1]

Thank goodness for the intelligent, competent judge. I hope Colorado has to apologize and pay all those parent who had their children taken away. To me, that's the biggest crime and somebody should be held responsible. Really great report here. Thank you. Subscribed.

[@Pashinator1]

Everything about this is crazy. What a story!

[@lowwastehighmelanin]

Thank you for creating this really professinal, succinct explainer. I'll be sharing this with my team at work (One of the Blues) as a resource to help everyone understand why we say no to things sometimes. I'm the only allied health background person in our customer service department so I get annoyed when my colleagues speak out of turn. This is an opportunity to improve that a bit I think.

[@Quitu1849]

Maass is in hot water, you could say Maass is grass, Maass is toast

[@SR-fu7ty]

Sooo....am I the only person wondering what Niceta was going to do about the mortality portion of the alleged glioblastoma? As in, people who actually have this die from it and they don't let terribly long. So again, if she was willing to be that committed to the charade, what was her game plan about that?

[@Spamhard]

Its wild to me that NO ONE in the court could tell these were fake, or at least be suspicious enough to look deeper and get second opinions. As someone who has 0 medical knowledge, and only knows about photoshopped images from general internet usage, even I saw the images and was like "the tumour is the same in image 2 and 3...." Surprising to me that it's not standard procedure for any claim of illness to be confirmed by court mandated specialists tbh, otherwise what's stopping this sort of thing from happening over and over? So easy to pay someone off to say whatever you want.

[@julietofthebriar]

“That’s not an accusation- it’s a hypothesis.” why is this such a badass line

[@fransinigiraldo4695]

This post was better than a Colombian SOAP (not notes) opera with the exception that I learned some very interesting useful info. Thanks Dr. Strong, you’re amazing. Love your content. Keep us on our toes

[@Atrohumter]

Absolutely badass my dude! Very nice video.

[@xynged]

"People should do a little research first before opening their mouth" Reddit: "Ok bet"

[@CristalianaIvor]

I am not even a doctor, just an AuDHD person with a hobby of medicine and a friend who's training to become a surgeon and my first thought was... that looks fotoshopped. Especially the point you also made about how it does not shift surrounding tissues, but also it just looks... pasted...

[@TheGoogilly]

Great video; thanks. New sub.

[@AlyceMalyce]

I am not a medical professional, but even I figured out it was fake. But then my family didn't hide all the medical books they'd collected because we are book collectors, so as a kid without friends or cable, I spent a long time reading them.

[@valeriegrant4710]

That was fascinating!

[@Pipkiablo]

I have zero medical training and I could tell those scans were fake based on the fact that something about them looked off. I have a very high eye for noticing small details, so I was probably noticing that it was moving and that the two looked identical, but because I don't have any medical training, I couldn't put my finger on why it was wrong until you explained it, I just knew something looked wrong. If I can figure it out, I'm amazed that this fooled as many people as it did.