Fort Myers woman sentenced to 1 year in prison for forging late mother’s signature to claim benefits

A Fort Myers woman has been sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison for acts of wire fraud involving her dead mother dating back to 2005.

The court also entered an order of forfeiture for the fraud proceeds as part of her sentence. Sixty-five-year-old Laurie Ann Roszelle pleaded guilty on Dec. 5.

According to court documents, in 2005, following her mother’s death, Roszelle began appropriating Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) survivor’s benefit payments to which her mother had been entitled.

Roszelle forged her mother’s signature on multiple documents and sent them to the VA to ensure the continued flow of payments.

When the VA discovered the mother’s death and shut off benefits in 2024, Roszelle called the VA, claiming that her mother was still alive and asking that benefits be restarted.

In another call, Roszelle impersonated her mother’s voice.

When agents from the VA Office of Inspector General visited Roszelle’s residence, Roszelle claimed that her mother was living with her and made up a series of stories about her mother seeing a physician regularly, being mobile, and otherwise being alive and in good health.

Over 19 years, Roszelle fraudulently obtained $338,364.66 in stolen benefits.