ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA - Dorothy Lawson Jones, 66, of Hendricks, West Virginia, was convicted today of fraudulently collecting spousal death benefits from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II, announced.
Dorothy Lawson was previously married to a veteran who passed away in 1991. Lawson remarried in 1995 and continued to unlawfully collect spousal death benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs until at least 2013. Lawson falsely reported on at least two government forms that she had never remarried.
Jones pled guilty today to one count of “False Statement in Document." She faces up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Cogar prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge John S. Kaull presided.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
