(CNN) It's a familiar story: A young child is diagnosed with cancer. His desperate parents ask for emotional and financial support, netting thousands of dollars in donations and the attention of organizations moved by the child's plight.

It's a story of human struggle and kindness. And in this case, authorities say, it was a complete lie.

Last summer, Martin and Jolene LaFrance of Port Byron, New York, began claiming their then-9-year-old son CJ had cancer. They raised more than $3,000 and wrangled a visit to a Syracuse University football practice before the truth came out: CJ didn't have cancer at all.

Now the LaFrances face criminal charges.

According to a statement from the Cayuga County Sheriff's office, the pair are charged with one count each of scheme to defraud in the first degree, which is a felony. They are also each charged with one count of endangering the welfare of a child.

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