US6 min(s) read
Published 16:15 22 Jun 2026 GMT
An FBI 'Most Wanted' fugitive disappeared after making a strange phone call to her ex-husband asking for help.
Vanessa O'Rourke, 37, is wanted by US police over allegations she faked terminal brain cancer and used the deception to collect more than $100,000 in donations before disappearing. Authorities believe she may still be living in Australia.
Now, her former husband, Michael Gulinello, has opened up about a bizarre conversation that took place years after their marriage ended.
Gulinello, 42, said O'Rourke somehow managed to contact him in 2020 even though he had changed his phone number following their divorce.
The former couple married in 2009 and divorced two years later.
"She somehow got a hold of me. She called and asked me if I could send her proof we got divorced because her mom can't do it," Mr. Gulinello told News.com.au. "I said no - she was already wanted."
Gulinello revealed that his ex-wife claimed she needed the paperwork because she wanted to return to the United States.
"As far as I know she's never come back to the US," he added.
He also said he never reported the phone call to police.
The FBI announced on May 23 that O'Rourke had been added to its Most Wanted list.
Federal prosecutors allege that between 2015 and 2016 she falsely claimed to be suffering from glioblastoma, an aggressive and often fatal form of brain cancer.
Per court documents, O'Rourke allegedly convinced friends, family members, and supporters to donate money through GoFundMe campaigns and local fundraising events by claiming she needed experimental treatment in Australia.
Prosecutors say the money was instead used to fund extravagant travel and vacations.
The fugitive was indicted in 2018 on 15 counts of wire fraud. Authorities say she has also used aliases, including Vanessa Gulinello and Cecilia Vincent Gaeta Lazaro.
When the indictment was unsealed in 2020, prosecutors said she was last known to be living in Queensland.
"The allegations in this case are nauseating. O'Rourke is charged with preying upon the kindness and generosity of good people who wished to help those in need. As alleged, there was no need here – only lies, greed and callous manipulation," then-US Attorney William McSwain said.
"Misleading people about a significant medical diagnosis in order to take advantage of their kind hearts and open wallets is reprehensible," Michael J. Driscoll, the special agent in charge of the FBI's Philadelphia Division added.
While many of the allegations have shocked him, Gulinello said he believes there were warning signs during their relationship.
"She was really smart, good personality and stuff, but over the years, lots of lies came out," he said. "She was always a pathological liar."
He recalled one incident involving a deposit for their wedding venue.
"We were supposed to get married at some hall and had to put a $2500 deposit down, then she said she found out we couldn't get married there and told me they said they could only give $1200 back despite being fully refundable," he said. "About a month later, her mom got a car. I feel like that money was given to her mom."
Gulinello also said he helped finance O'Rourke's education by co-signing student loans.
"I literally took out student loans to help out her college," he said. "I thought I was being a good husband."
More than a decade later, he says the debt remains unresolved.
"I had to go to court numerous amount of times about the student loans because she never paid a penny back," he said. "Even when we got divorced, the court said my debt is her debt. And she never did anything... It's more than $100k."
Gulinello, who suffers from cystic fibrosis and severe stomach problems, said his ex-wife cared for him during some of the most difficult periods of his life.
"I was really sick for a two-to-three year span," he said. "She was really there for me. At that time, I thought I was on my way out."
However, he wonders whether she may have had ulterior motives. "I have thought maybe she thought I wasn't going to make it until 25... That she'd get some money, use me to co-sign, and I'd be dead," he added.
He also recalled O'Rourke becoming fascinated with Australia long before she eventually moved there.
"There was a student from Australia at her university, and I thought she was cheating on me with him because of how fixated she was on it," he said.
Gulinello said O'Rourke later began claiming she had a tumor.
"She started to say she had a tumor on her gland," he said. "I didn't not believe her, but her not having proof made me feel [suspicious]. That’s when we had irreconcilable differences... I have paperwork for everything with cystic fibrosis so I know how that all works - it wasn't adding up that she had nothing to show for it."
After relocating to Australia, O'Rourke allegedly got a job with Queensland medical services by posing as a brain surgeon and using falsified credentials.
She reportedly claimed to have studied at Temple University and regularly referred to herself as "Doctor".
When colleagues questioned gaps in her medical knowledge, she allegedly blamed memory loss caused by brain cancer treatment.
Queensland Police launched an investigation in 2017 after receiving information from US authorities.
O'Rourke later pleaded guilty to multiple fraud and forgery offences, including the use of forged documents.
The following year, she was placed in immigration detention after a partner visa application was rejected.
A tribunal later heard that O'Rourke accepted responsibility for her past conduct and was considered a very low risk to the community. She was subsequently released while her immigration case continued.
No publicly available record has confirmed whether she was granted a bridging visa, but she appears to have remained in Australia.
Despite everything that has emerged, Gulinello says he never expected his ex-wife to become an international criminal.
"I just think it's crazy it got to the point," he said. "She never did anything scandalous, I can think of other than lying to me."
US authorities have urged anyone with information about O'Rourke's whereabouts to contact the FBI or the nearest American embassy or consulate.
.webp_ke6C2y?tr=cr-169.8.1505.1344,f-webp,q-70,w-100)