Special to the Herald
SAVANNAH -- The divorced spouse of a deceased U.S. Army veteran has been indicted on federal charges for fraudulently claiming the veteran’s benefits.
Miranda Rachel Briggs, a/k/a “Miranda Rachel Fisher,” 33, of Rincon, was indicted by a U.S. District Court Grand Jury on charges of wire fraud and theft of government money, property, or records, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Conviction on the charges carries a statutory penalty of up to 20 years in prison, along with substantial financial penalties.
The indictment sets out a timeline of key events beginning in November 2015 when Briggs married Garrett Briggs, 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 Garrett’s request to remove Miranda as a recipient of his benefits.
Briggs filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in January 2018, certifying that she and Garrett were divorced. After Garrett died about two weeks later, Briggs filed for VA benefits, claiming to be Garrett’s surviving spouse. In April 2018 she also claimed to be Garrett’s spouse when applying for benefits from the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs, receiving approximately $49,000 for medical care. She also received approximately $80,000 in benefits from the VA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation Program by claiming to be an eligible survivor of a qualifying veteran.
After the VA’s initial decision to deny her claim to Garrett’s VA survivor benefits, Briggs submitted additional paperwork claiming she and Garrett 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 2020 Briggs formed a nonprofit, Fight the War Within to provide mental health tools to prevent suicide.
In April 2021, Briggs was named administrator of Garrett’s estate after claiming in Chatham County Probate Court to be Garrett’s surviving spouse.
In October 2022, Miranda Briggs was presented with a mortgage-free home in Rincon from Operation Finally Home.
In March 2023, the Chatham County Probate Court removed Briggs as administrator after finding she was divorced from Garrett at the time of his death and not eligible to act as an administrator of his estate.
Briggs is scheduled for an initial appearance in Magistrate Court in Brunswick on July 26.
Criminal indictments contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case is under investigation by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, and prosecuted for the United States of America by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia G. Rhodes and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Z. Spitulnik.
