Julie M. Wheeler, 43, of Beckley, was sentenced to 42 months in federal prison for federal healthcare fraud. After serving her prison sentence, she will be placed on supervised release for three years. She was further ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $289,055.07, an amount calculated by the Veterans Administration (VA) and approved by the court. In imposing a sentencing enhancement for obstruction, Judge John T. Copenhaver found that Wheeler attempted to obstruct and impede the administration of justice by staging an “elaborate hoax” to fake her own death to avoid federal sentencing. On May 31, 2020, Wheeler and other family members staged her fall from the Grandview State Park overlook. Wheeler’s family members then falsely reported to law enforcement her fall off of Grandview Ledges at the New River Gorge. This report led to an extensive search effort in the New River Gorge by state, federal and local authorities, assisted by numerous volunteers. The West Virginia State Police eventually located Wheeler at her own home, hiding in a closet. Wheeler and her husband are presently charged in Raleigh County Magistrate Court for numerous felony and misdemeanor offenses relating to the false reporting of an emergency. The court found that this scheme contributed to Wheeler’s failure to accept responsibility for her criminal conduct and enhanced her federal sentence accordingly.
