Source: Office of United States Attorneys
SAVANNAH, GA: The divorced spouse of a deceased U.S. Army veteran awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to fraudulently claiming her ex-husband’s benefits.
Miranda Rachel Briggs, a/k/a “Miranda Rachel Fisher,”34, of Rincon, Georgia, pled guilty to Wire Fraud, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The guilty plea subjects Briggs to a statutory penalty of up to 20 years in prison, along with substantial financial penalties and restitution.
“Programs that financially benefit surviving family members of deceased veterans are designed to provide a safety net to those survivors,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “This guilty plea demonstrates the tenacity of investigators and prosecutors in dismantling this scheme.”
The guilty plea outlines key events that began in November 2015 when Briggs married G.B., a U.S. Army veteran, keeping her maiden name “Fisher.” Less than a year later, Briggs filed for divorce. Two weeks after the divorce was final, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs granted G.B.’s request to remove Briggs as a recipient of G.B.’s benefits.
Briggs filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in January 2018, certifying that she and G.B. were divorced. After G.B. died about two weeks later, Briggs filed for 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.
As a result of those false claims, Briggs received approximately $49,000 for medical care, and approximately $80,000 in benefits from the VA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation Program.
After the VA’s initial decision to deny her claim to G.B.’s VA survivor benefits, Briggs submitted additional paperwork claiming she and G.B. were married until his death in 2018. Based on this claim, the VA granted her the benefits. She then filed a petition in Chatham County Superior Court, changing her name from Miranda Rachel Fisher to Miranda Rachel Briggs. In April 2021, Briggs was named administrator of G.B.’s estate after claiming in Chatham County Probate Court to be G.B.’s surviving spouse.
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.
U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood will schedule a sentencing hearing for Briggs after completion of a pre-sentence investigation by U.S. Probation Services.
“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.”
The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, and prosecuted for the United States of America by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Z. Spitulnik and Patricia G. Rhodes.