Urbana, Ohio ? Police say a woman tried to trick her daughter and community into thinking the girl had cancer so she could raise money, even going so far as to shave the 7-year-old’s head, give her sleeping pills and put her in counseling to prepare to die.

No charges had been filed against Teresa Milbrandt, 35, as of Wednesday. Her daughter, Hannah, has been taken from her and placed in the custody of relatives.

“By the time we get done, there’s going to be a lot of charges here,” Sgt. David Reese said.

Reese said Milbrandt admitted this week to county officials that the cancer was a hoax. Reese said police officers have collected coffee cans placed at businesses to seek donations that would supposedly go toward treatment. Police also found fliers with photos of the girl inviting people to fund-raisers, and a color television donated as a raffle prize.

Milbrandt’s husband, Robert Milbrandt, 44, is also under investigation, but no charges have been filed against him, police said.

Robert Milbrandt said he and his daughter never knew the cancer was faked.

He said he took his wife to a mental hospital Tuesday.

“I don’t know how you can be married to someone for so long, them lie to you and you not know,” he told the Urbana Daily Citizen.

Police in Urbana, Ohio, say Teresa Milbrandt, left, 35, tried to trick her daughter Hannah, right, and the community into thinking the girl had cancer so she could raise money. Hannah, 7, was taken from her parents this week and placed in the custody of other relatives.

Reese said Mrs. Milbrandt allegedly researched the effects of leukemia and gave her daughter sleeping pills and shaved her head to make it appear she was receiving chemotherapy.

He said Mrs. Milbrandt placed a bandage on the girl’s back to cover a supposed “port” where chemotherapy was administered.

Reese said the girl did have some illnesses but police had determined they weren’t life-threatening.

Police began investigating the child’s illness about a week ago when employees at the girl’s school noticed that her hair was cut or shaved, not falling out. They reported the situation to the county Department of Job and Family Services, and the agency contacted police.

Investigators have not been able to calculate the amount of money collected or the number of fund-raisers, but at least one church gave $2,200 and two agencies gave $500 each.

Reese said people in the community were shocked to hear the woman faked her child’s illness.

“I’ve delivered death messages that people have taken easier than some of the people are taking this,” Reese said. “They’re just destroyed.”