A West Virginia man allegedly tried to fake his wife's disappearance, claiming she fell off a cliff, so that she could avoid going to prison, but things did not go according to plan. The couple was busted when investigators found the woman hiding in a closet on Tuesday, according to reports.
Julie Wheeler, 43, was facing 10 years behind bars and a fine of $250,000 for committing healthcare fraud, so she and her husband allegedly devised a plan to evade authorities.
On Sunday, Rodney Wheeler, 48, reported Julie missing. He claimed that the mother of two had fallen off a cliff while they were hiking together in Grandview State Park and even planted a few of her belongings near the scene to make the claims appear legitimate, according to Daily Mail.
A large-scale search ensued, with helicopters, divers, sniffer dogs and abseilers scouring the area to find Julie, but the efforts were suspended on Monday. The following day, authorities visited the Wheelers' home to retrieve a few of Julie’s personal belongings to aid their investigation, which was when they found her hiding.
The couple was arrested and slapped with several charges including fraudulent schemes, conspiracy and willful disruption of a governmental process. They are being held on a $100,000 bond.
In February, Julie pleaded guilty to federal healthcare fraud after an investigation revealed that she had falsely claimed to be looking after a patient for 18 months. She told the VA she was earning a daily rate of $736 for providing that care.
She was released pending sentencing on June 17. Julie has now been ordered to pay restitution that could amount to $469,000.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.