S.C. woman faces prison for scamThursday, September 4, 2008
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A South Carolina woman has admitted scamming West Virginia's workers' compensation system for more than 15 years. Prosecutors said 60-year-old Harriett Miller of Georgetown, S.C., stole checks totaling nearly $116,000 that the state sent to Hazel Allen after Allen died in 1987. Allen was awarded lifetime benefits after her husband, a coal miner, was killed in a mine accident in West Virginia in 1941. Allen later moved to South Carolina and lived in the same building as Miller. Miller pleaded guilty Tuesday in Kanawha County Circuit Court to fraudulent schemes. Forty-two-year-old Kevin R. Sexton of Georgetown pleaded guilty to the same charge. Prosecutors said Sexton and Miller were married but are now separated. Miller and Sexton each face one to 10 years in prison and are scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 16. |
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Comments
This article has 5 comment(s)
Posted by lillycollette on September 4, 2008 at 2:03 a.m. (Suggest removal)
What a delight to see such a long-term career fraud brought to justice—it certainly proves it can be done.
Given what I know about frauds perhaps it would be a good idea to investigate further into the case and make sure that Harriett Miller didn’t contribute to the death of Hazel Allen to insure her career move in fraud.
Stereotypical harmless old frauds are far more vicious than what the general public and some LEO’s have been willing to face.
Posted by Tammie on September 4, 2008 at 7:50 a.m. (Suggest removal)
May you rot in hell Harriett Miller.
Posted by palmettotree on September 4, 2008 at 9:15 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I just don't understand how she could have gotten away with it for so long. Wouldn't she need an ID for the bank when she either put the check in or when she took money out?
Posted by oldglory on September 4, 2008 at 9:49 a.m. (Suggest removal)
lillycollette, my immediate thought when I read about Ms. Allen. A scam that has existed for so many years deserves a bit closer investigation with regard to the deceased, who's very death made the scam possible.
It could just be a bad case of reporting the facts in this matter too.
Posted by CaptPete on September 4, 2008 at 12:21 p.m. (Suggest removal)
A person's social security number gets turned over as public record after being deceased about 14 months. They should have had a database to cross reference this instead of continuing to send out checks. They will not recover this money.