SAVANNAH, Ga. — The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia said a woman faces up to 20 years in prison, and “substantial financial penalties” after claiming her deceased ex-husband’s military benefits.
Miranda Rachel Briggs, 34 of Rincon, also known as Miranda Rachel Fisher, pled guilty to wire fraud in a Georgia court.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office said Briggs’ married a U.S. Army veteran in 2015, but filed for divorce less than a year later.
Two weeks after the divorce process was finished, the Department of Veterans Affairs granted Briggs’ ex-husband’s request to remove her as a beneficiary for his benefits.
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In January 2018, Briggs filed for bankruptcy and certified that she and her ex-husband were, in fact, divorced, the USAO said.
But two weeks later, he died and Briggs filed for his VA benefits, “falsely claiming to be G.B.’s surviving spouse. In April 2018 she also claimed to be G.B.’s spouse when applying for benefits from the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs,” officials said.
In April 2018, Briggs again claimed to have still been married to the Army veteran while applying for benefits from a VA medical program.
The USAO said that due to those false claims, Briggs got about $49,000 in medical care and about $80,000 in dependent benefits.
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Briggs filed a claim to get her ex-husband’s VA survivor benefits and was denied, so she then filed more paperwork saying they had still been married until his death.
After she filed the documents, the VA approved her request and granted her the benefits, after which the U.S. Department of Justice said she legally changed her last name to Briggs.
Years later, Briggs was named the administrator of her ex-husband’s estate after claiming in a Chatham County Probate Court that she was his surviving spouse.
At no time was Briggs, previously Fisher, still married or the surviving widow of the dead veteran.
“In March 2023, the Chatham County Probate Court removed Briggs as administrator after finding she was divorced from G.B. at the time of his death and not eligible to act as an administrator of his estate,” according to the Justice Department.
The case was investigated and eventually, Briggs pled guilty to fraudulently claiming the benefits.
“This guilty plea holds the defendant accountable for defrauding vital VA programs that provides monetary benefits for survivors of service members and veterans,” said Special Agent in Charge David Spilker with the VA OIG Southeast Field 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.”
She now faces up to 20 years in prison and financial penalties, as well as restitution. USAO said her sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled, and will be set after a pre-sentence investigation by U.S. Probation Services is complete.
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