Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Year in Prison for Deceased Payee Fraud

From the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Louisiana:

MONROE, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a Calhoun woman was sentenced last week to a year in prison for stealing more than $100,000 of government money, to which she was not entitled, from her deceased mother’s account.

Megan Elliott Wilson, 43, of Calhoun, Louisiana, was sentenced on November 7, 2018 by U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty on one count of theft of government funds. She was also sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $102,604.75 in restitution.  According to the October 31, 2017 guilty plea, Anne Elliott, a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Social Security Administration (SSA) program beneficiary, died in August of 2009.  The government agencies were initially unaware of Elliott’s death and paid $77,942.75 in VA benefits and $24,662 in SSA benefits via direct deposit to a bank account in Elliott’s name.  Upon learning of Elliott’s death, the agencies attempted to reclaim the funds, but the funds had been fraudulently withdrawn from the account by Elliott’s daughter, Megan Elliott Wilson, who accessed the funds online and forged checks on the account converting the funds to her own use.  The total loss to the government is $102,604.75.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs - Office of Inspector General and the Social Security Administration - Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary J. Mudrick prosecuted the case.

MONROE, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a Calhoun woman was sentenced last week to a year in prison for stealing more than $100,000 of government money, to which she was not entitled, from her deceased mother’s account.

Megan Elliott Wilson, 43, of Calhoun, Louisiana, was sentenced on November 7, 2018 by U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty on one count of theft of government funds. She was also sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $102,604.75 in restitution.  According to the October 31, 2017 guilty plea, Anne Elliott, a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Social Security Administration (SSA) program beneficiary, died in August of 2009.  The government agencies were initially unaware of Elliott’s death and paid $77,942.75 in VA benefits and $24,662 in SSA benefits via direct deposit to a bank account in Elliott’s name.  Upon learning of Elliott’s death, the agencies attempted to reclaim the funds, but the funds had been fraudulently withdrawn from the account by Elliott’s daughter, Megan Elliott Wilson, who accessed the funds online and forged checks on the account converting the funds to her own use.  The total loss to the government is $102,604.75.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs - Office of Inspector General and the Social Security Administration - Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary J. Mudrick prosecuted the case.