The tangled web of deceit woven by a Rincon, Georgia woman came to light as she admitted to fraudulently claiming her deceased ex-husband's military benefits. Miranda Rachel Briggs, also known as Miranda Rachel Fisher, 34, entered a guilty plea for wire fraud, which could land her in federal prison for up to two decades, as the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Georgia announced.
U.S. Attorney Jill E. Steinberg outlined the result of Briggs's scheme, noting to U.S. Attorney's Office, "This guilty plea demonstrates the tenacity of investigators and prosecutors in dismantling this scheme." The fraudulent claims by Briggs began shortly after the dissolution of her marriage to G.B., a U.S. Army veteran in 2016 when she continued to present herself as his spouse to claim medical care and Dependency and Indemnity Compensation benefits. Briggs's claims led to her illicit gain of approximately $129,000 from the Department of Veterans Affairs programs, designed to financially assist survivors.
Despite the Department of Veterans Affairs initially denying her claims after G.B.'s death in 2018, Briggs persisted in her fraudulent activities by submitting wrongful paperwork and changing her name legally, to lay claim to benefits not rightfully hers. Her ruse extended to applying for the role of estate administrator by misrepresenting her relationship with G.B. at the time of his death.
Tightening the noose on fraudulent exploitation of veterans' benefits, Special Agent in Charge David Spilker with the VA OIG Southeast Field Office said to U.S. Attorney's Office, "The VA OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to root out fraudulent activity and seek the prosecution of those who would compromise the integrity of VA’s programs and services." U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood will set a sentencing date following the completion of the pre-sentence report by U.S. Probation Services, marking the culmination of Briggs's fraudulent endeavors which, tarnished the safety net intended to catch those truly in need.
