SHENANDOAH COUNTY, Va. (WHSV) – A woman already convicted on federal charges related to collecting her dead mother’s Social Security checks is now facing state-level charges, including first-degree murder.
Elizabeth Keegan is facing a first-degree murder charge in Shenandoah Circuit Court. A pretrial hearing was held Wednesday.
The case dates back to the 2019 death of her mother, Lena. Investigators say Keegan hid her mother’s death for years while collecting Social Security benefits, draining bank accounts and using credit cards in her name. Prosecutors say the fraud scheme totaled more than $180,000.
Keegan was convicted of federal fraud charges on Oct. 9, 2024, and later pleaded guilty to identity theft. She received an 18-month prison sentence, along with probation and an order to pay restitution.
During the federal case, authorities alleged she concealed her mother’s death to avoid…
This category refers to crimes committed by employees or insiders against their own organizations. It is often the most damaging because the perpetrator has authorized access to systems.
- Asset Misappropriation: The most common form, involving the theft of company resources. This ranges from simple “skimming” (taking cash before it’s recorded) to complex schemes involving the theft of inventory or intellectual property.
- Payroll Fraud: Employees may create “ghost employees” on the system, falsify their own timesheets to claim unworked overtime, or divert salary payments to their own accounts.
- Financial Statement Fraud: Management deliberately misrepresents the company’s financial health by inflating revenue or hiding liabilities to attract investors or meet performance bonuses.