Ex-wife of deceased veteran sentenced to prison for falsely receiving surviving spouse benefits
Miranda Rachel Briggs, 34, of Rincon, Georgia, pleaded guilty to wire fraud on Jan. 15, 2025.
A judge sentenced her to two months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release after she completes her prison term.
She is also ordered to pay more than $129,000 in restitution to the Veterans Administration.
According to court documents, Briggs married a U.S. Army veteran in November 2015. Less than a year later, she filed for divorce. Two weeks after the divorce was final, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs granted the veteran's request to remove Briggs as a recipient of benefits.
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When the veteran died in 2018, Briggs filed for VA benefits, falsely claiming to be the veteran's surviving spouse.
In April 2018, she also claimed to be the veteran's spouse when applying for benefits from the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA).
After the VA initially denied her claim to the veteran's survivor benefits, Briggs submitted paperwork claiming that she and the veteran were married until his death. Based on that claim, the VA granted her the benefits.
In April 2021, Briggs filed a petition to become the administrator of her ex-husband's estate after claiming in Chatham County Probate Court to be his surviving spouse. In December 2021, the Probate Court granted that petition.
One week later, Briggs sued the U.S. government seeking more than $7 million in damages for the veteran's death.
Before the lawsuit was settled, lawyers for the government discovered that Briggs falsely claimed to be the veteran's spouse, and the lawsuit was dismissed.
In March 2023, the Chatham County Probate Court removed Briggs as the administrator of her ex-husband's estate.
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As a result of falsely claiming to be his widow, Briggs received approximately $49,000 for medical care and approximately $80,000 in benefits from the VA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation Program.
During her sentencing, the court noted that Briggs spent thousands of dollars on cosmetic surgeries after receiving the CHAMPVA benefits.
'Programs that financially benefit surviving family members of deceased veterans are designed to provide a safety net to those survivors,' said Acting U.S. Attorney Lyons. 'This sentence sends the appropriate message that those not entitled to these benefits will be called to answer for their crimes.'
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