Sixty-five-year-old Laurie Ann Roszelle of Fort Myers has been indicted with one count of wire fraud.
According to the indictment, for nearly 19 years after her mother's death in 2005, Roszelle schemed to wrongfully receive U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs benefits intended for her mother.
To start the scheme, Roszelle allegedly falsified her mother's signature and told the VA over the phone that her mother was still alive, years after her death.
Roszelle is also accused of collecting more than $338,000 from the VA benefits program.
If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.