ATLANTA – A Georgia woman pleaded guilty Tuesday to posing as her dead son to create an insurance policy that ended up paying out $151,000.
Donna Ellis Gibbs' son died in a car crash in December 2002. Not long after, Gibbs pretended to be her dead son and set up a life insurance policy in his name, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
She then altered documents relating to his death to reflect that he died in April 2003, before submitting a claim to Monumental Life Insurance Co., the company she used to set up the fictitious policy.
The company paid out $151,000.
Authorities were tipped off about the fraud when Gibbs' ex-husband, the father of her late son, found out about her scheme.
Gibbs was sentenced to 20 years on probation, 200 hours of community service and must undergo drug and alcohol treatment. She also must pay back in full the money given to her by the insurance company.
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