The ex-husband of one of America’s most wanted fugitives — who is believed to be hiding out in Australia — has revealed she made a mysterious phone call to him while on the run.
Vanessa O’Rourke, 37, has been evading US authorities for years, but unexpectedly rang Michael Gulinello, 42, asking for his help in 2020 despite years of no contact up until that point.
“She somehow got a hold of me. She called and asked me if I could send her proof we got divorced because her mum can’t do it,” Mr. Gulinello told news.com.au, noting he’d changed his number since he and O’Rourke split up.
“I said no — she was already wanted.”
Mr. Gulinello, of Massachusetts, and O’Rourke were married in 2009 and divorced in 2011 – before federal prosecutors accused her of faking terminal brain cancer to con friends, family and supporters out of more than $100,000 in donations, according to court documents.
The FBI announced on May 23 that O’Rourke – who has been a fugitive in the US since she was indicted in 2018 for the “suspected “nauseating” scheme in which she allegedly used the donations to fund luxury travel and vacations in Australia – is now on their most wanted list.
Authorities allege O’Rourke, formerly of Harleysville, Pennsylvania, falsely claimed she was suffering from glioblastoma, an aggressive and often fatal form of brain cancer, between 2015 and 2016. Prosecutors say she raised money through GoFundMe campaigns and local fundraisers by claiming she needed lifesaving experimental treatment down under.
According to Mr. Gulinello, O’Rourke told him during the out-of-the-blue call that she needed the paperwork because she wanted to return to the US.
“As far as I know she’s never come back to the US,” he added, noting he did not report the call to officials.
Authorities say O’Rourke, who was indicted on 15 counts of wire fraud, has used aliases including Vanessa Gulinello and Cecilia Vincent Gaeta Lazaro.
When prosecutors unsealed O’Rourke’s indictment in 2020, she was last known to be living in Queensland, according to the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
“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,” US Attorney William McSwain said in a statement at the time.
“Misleading people about a significant medical diagnosis in order to take advantage of their kind hearts and open wallets is reprehensible,” added Michael J. Driscoll, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division, in relation to the allegations.
‘She was always a pathological liar’
Mr. Gulinello said many of the allegations against his ex-wife have stunned him, however he did recall some past incidents which he claims show problematic behaviour.
“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 their wedding venue deposit.
“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.”
Mr. Gulinello said his new bride’s demands quickly escalated and before he knew it, he was co-signing her student loans to attend Eastern Nazarene College.
“I literally took out student loans to help out her college,” he added.
“I thought I was being a good husband.”
Years later, he said, the debt still haunts him.
“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.”
Mr. Gulinello, who survives on Social Security disability payments due to cystic fibrosis and severe stomach problems, said O’Rourke cared for him while he battled life-threatening health complications.
“I was really sick for a 2-3 year span,” he said.
“She was really there for me. At that time I thought I was on my way out.”
Looking back now, he wonders whether O’Rourke may have targeted him for marriage because he was gravely ill at the time and she would have benefited financially if he died.
“I have thought maybe she thought I wasn’t going to make it until 25,” he said.
“That she’d get some money, use me to co-sign and I’d be dead.”
According to Mr. Gulinello, O’Rourke became fixated on travelling to Australia during their marriage – years before she actually went – and started talking about needing to go there for lifesaving medical tests despite not appearing to be sick.
“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 recalled.
He said O’Rourke eventually began claiming she had a tumour on her pituitary gland.
“She started to say she had a tumour 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.”
In the years that followed, O’Rourke told supporters that traditional treatment options had failed and that travelling to Australia for an experimental procedure represented her best chance at survival.
“On or around April of 2016, O’Rourke travelled to Australia, where she engaged in a variety of leisure activities and did not receive any medical treatment,” the FBI said in a statement.
“Upon her return to the United States, O’Rourke enlisted her friends and family to organise two fundraisers on her behalf.”
This time, local businesses got invited to provide auction items, and many people paid both an entrance fee and bid on the auction.
“A web page was established and a benefit event held at a local restaurant in Pennsylvania, both resulting in numerous people providing donations for her purported cancer treatment,” the FBI said.
“O’Rourke utilised those funds to travel to Australia again in or around 2016, where she again engaged in various leisure activities and received no medical treatment for her non-existent illness.”
After arriving in Australia, O’Rourke posed as a brain surgeon, using a fraudulent resume to secure work with Queensland medical services despite having no relevant qualifications.
She claimed to have studied at Temple University in Pennsylvania and routinely referred to herself as “Doctor”. When colleagues began questioning her lack of medical knowledge, O’Rourke allegedly blamed brain cancer treatment and resulting memory loss.
Queensland Police launched an investigation in 2017 after receiving information from US authorities, who were also seeking O’Rourke over unrelated theft offences. She later pleaded guilty to multiple fraud and forgery charges, including using forged documents.
The following year, O’Rourke was placed in immigration detention after her partner visa application was rejected. Despite her criminal history, a tribunal heard O’Rourke – who was being held under Australia’s immigration laws not pursuant to an extradition warrant – accepted responsibility for her past conduct and presented a very low risk to the community.
She was released from detention while her immigration case continued.
While no publicly available record has been located confirming the grant of a bridging visa, O’Rourke appears to have remained in the Australian community since then.
Though her estranged ex-husband described her as manipulative and narcissistic, Mr. Gulinello said he never imagined she would one day become a federal fugitive.
“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.