A West Virginia man has been sentenced for helping his wife stage her own disappearance to avoid sentencing in a federal fraud case, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.
Prosecutors said that in May 2020, Rodney, 48, called police to report that his wife, Julie, 44, had fallen from a cliff in a West Virginia national park. A large search followed, with rescue crews, dogs, helicopters and hundreds of volunteers looking for her over several days. Authorities said Julie was found hiding in a closet at the couple’s home two days after the report.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office said Rodney repeatedly gave false statements to state and federal investigators during the search. In its news release, the office said the purpose of those statements was to continue the claim that she had fallen and was missing.
Rodney was sentenced to eight months of confinement for his role, according to prosecutors. That includes two months in federal prison and six months of home confinement, followed by three years of supervised release.
In February, Julie was sentenced to a combined 54 months in federal prison for health care fraud and obstruction, according to the same office, and was ordered to pay $289,055.07 in restitution. Prosecutors said a Veterans Affairs office hired her home health company in 2016 to help a veteran, and that she billed for hours that were never worked, collecting nearly $70,000 in improper payments. She was charged with fraud in September 2019.
Source: U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.
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