An Indiana woman is facing serious charges after allegedly marrying her biological father while still being legally married to another man. Authorities claim she falsified information on her marriage license application in an attempt to collect her father’s monthly Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits while he remains in prison.
The woman, 44, reportedly lied on her application by stating she was not already married and falsely claiming that her new husband was no closer than a second cousin. In reality, the man she married was her biological father, a 59-year-old currently incarcerated on a probation violation. Officials discovered multiple inaccuracies on the application, leading to the charges.
Beyond misrepresenting her marital status, she also allegedly provided false information about her father’s criminal record, stating that he was not a convicted lifetime sex or violent offender both of which are untrue, according to law enforcement. Records indicate that he has a federal child pornography charge on his record. Additionally, the addresses they listed on the application were determined to be false.
Court documents reveal that at the time of the marriage, she was in the middle of a divorce from her legal husband. Despite this, she proceeded with the marriage on July 26, 2024. The situation came to light when the man’s sister allegedly informed authorities that the marriage had been arranged to fraudulently obtain his VA benefits, which amount to $350 per month.
The sister also reportedly provided authorities with documentation from a DNA testing service, which showed a 99.999999% probability that the man was the woman’s biological father. These findings further reinforced suspicions of wrongdoing and led to her arrest.
Following the discovery, the woman was taken into custody and charged with bigamy and providing false information on a marriage license application. However, she has since been released.
In an unexpected twist, a person claiming to have knowledge of the case has come forward to dispute the allegations regarding the biological relationship between the two. The individual provided documentation, allegedly from a DNA testing center, suggesting that the man is not actually her father. Authorities have yet to verify these claims, as additional DNA tests are still pending.
The man remains incarcerated but is expected to be released later this year. The case has drawn significant attention due to the disturbing nature of the allegations and the legal complexities involved. If convicted, the woman could face serious legal consequences for her actions.
