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		</div><h6><span style="color: #423535;">Rodney Wheeler on Saturday reported that his wife Julie had fallen off a cliff at Grandview State Park on Sunday while she was looking for a missing earring </span></h6>
<h6><span style="color: #423535;">Authorities in West Virginia say the couple concocted a bogus missing person scam to enable Julie Wheeler avoid jail time for fraud</span></h6>
<h6><span style="color: #423535;">State Police launched had launched a massive two-day search bringing in helicopters, divers and sniffer dogs to try and find the &#8216;missing woman&#8217;</span></h6>
<h6><span style="color: #423535;">But on Tuesday, Julie Wheeler, 44, was discovered hiding in a closet inside her own home by investigators who had called around to the residence searching for </span></h6>
<h6><span style="color: #423535;">Julie in February pled guilty to healthcare fraud and is facing 10 years in prison for that offense </span></h6>
<h6><span style="color: #423535;">She was also facing a fine of $250,000 and payments of up to $469,000 as restitution </span></h6>
<h6><span style="color: #423535;">Julie was released pending her sentencing that had been scheduled for June 17</span></h6>
<h6><span style="color: #423535;">Husband and wife have been arrested for the false &#8216;missing person&#8217; scam with bond set at $100,000 each</span></h6>
<h6><span style="color: #423535;">They&#8217;re charged with fraudulent schemes, conspiracy, willful disruption of a governmental process and obstructing an officer</span></h6>
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<h6><strong><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-348206" src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Julie-Wheeler-and-Rodney-Wheeler-1.jpg" alt="Julie Wheeler and Rodney Wheeler 1" width="673" height="353" />Julie Wheeler [left], and her husband Rodney Wheeler, [right], allegedly faked her disappearance by pretending she plummeted off a cliff. Police say the couple planted the false story to enable her avoid jail time and a hefty restitution after she pled guilty to significant healthcare fraud. They were arrested and charged on Wednesday for their bogus &#8216;missing person&#8217; scheme</strong></h6>
<p>A West Virginia woman and her husband allegedly faked her disappearance by pretending she plummeted from a cliff so that she could avoid jail time.<br />
On Sunday, Rodney Wheeler, 48, reported that his wife Julie Wheeler, 43 had fallen from an overlook at New River Gorge while they were out hiking together in Grandview State Park.<br />
Authorities immediately launched a large-scale search for the missing mom-of-two. , with a National Guard helicopter deployed to scour the area and a diving crew dispatched to search waters in the gorge. Investigators also brought in sniffer dogs, while abseilers were seen scaling the side of the cliff from which Julie purportedly plummeted.<br />
However on Tuesday, Julie Wheeler was discovered hiding in a closet at her home in Beaver by state police who had called around to pick up items pertaining to their search.<br />
Authorities now believe Julie and Rodney concocted her &#8216;disappearance&#8217; so that she would avoid upcoming jail time which she is due to serve.<br />
Back in February, Julie pled guilty to healthcare fraud and was due to be sentenced on June 17.<br />
Julie Wheeler, 44, is facing up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for that offense.</p>
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<h6><strong><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-348219" src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Julie-Wheeler-4.jpg" alt="Julie Wheeler 4" width="683" height="449" />Presumed missing until she was found cowering in her closet, Julie Wheeler, [photo], is facing prison time for a 2019 VA fraud. She was arrested Tuesday. Julie and her husband Rodney are being held on a $100,000 bond each, in West Virginia</strong></h6>
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<h6 class="mobile-gallery-icon"><strong><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-348209" src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Authorities-immediately-launched-a-large-scale-search-for-Julie-Wheeler-in-Grandview-State-Park-WV-1.jpg" alt="Authorities immediately launched a large-scale search for Julie Wheeler in Grandview State Park, WV 1" width="691" height="377" />In the wake of Julie Wheeler&#8217;s disappearance hoax, authorities immediately launched a large-scale search for the missing woman in Grandview State Park, WV </strong></h6>
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<h6 class="mol-para-with-font"><strong><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-348210" src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Authorities-immediately-launched-a-large-scale-search-for-Julie-Wheeler-in-Grandview-State-Park-WV-2.jpg" alt="Authorities immediately launched a large-scale search for Julie Wheeler in Grandview State Park, WV 2" width="687" height="381" />Several abseilers were seen scaling the side of the cliff from which Julie purportedly plummeted, searching for clues</strong></h6>
<p class="mol-para-with-font">On Sunday, Rodney and the couple&#8217;s 17-year-old son allegedly planted several of Julie&#8217;s items near the cliff to make it look like she had fallen over the edge.<br />
Rodney reportedly told police Julie had toppled from the cliff while trying to search for a missing earring.<br />
<span style="color: var(--color-text); font-size: 1rem;">He took to Facebook on Monday, writing: &#8216;The accident at Grandview yesterday involved my wife. They haven&#8217;t found her yet, but I am holding out hope that she will be found and she is OK. I am heartbroken and lost right now, but I have to have faith. Please give us time to work through this, and please keep us in your thoughts and prayers.&#8217;<br />
</span>Rescue crews scoured the area on both Sunday and Monday before suspending the search shortly before she was found cowering in the closet at home.</p>
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<h6><strong><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-348213" src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Search-crews-in-a-National-Guard-helicopter-scour-the-area-where-Julie-Wheeler-supposedly-disappeared.jpg" alt="Search crews in a National Guard helicopter scour the area where Julie Wheeler supposedly 'disappeared'" width="736" height="403" />Members of The National Guard in a helicopter scoured the area where Julie Wheeler &#8216;disappeared&#8217; </strong></h6>
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<h6><strong> <img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-348216" src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Rodney-Wheelers-text-on-Julies-disappearance.jpg" alt="Rodney Wheeler's text on Julie's disappearance" width="729" height="345" />Rodney Wheeler told police his wife Julie had toppled over the cliff side while searching for a missing earring. He&#8217;d sent out a post asking people to &#8216;pray&#8217; that she would be found. In reality Julie was holed up in a closet inside her home </strong></h6>
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<h6 class="mol-para-with-font"><strong><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-348217" src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Grandview-State-Park-WV.jpg" alt="Grandview State Park, WV" width="686" height="502" />Police now say Rodney and his 17-year-old son planted personal items around the cliff in Grandview State Park to make it appear as if Julie had fallen</strong></h6>
<h6 class="mol-para-with-font"><strong><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-348229" src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Search-crews-scour-the-area-where-Julie-Wheeler-supposedly-disappeared-2.jpg" alt="Search crews scour the area where Julie Wheeler supposedly disappeared 2" width="750" height="515" />Crews pulled out the stops for the costly search of the area where Julie Wheeler supposedly &#8216;disappeared&#8217;</strong></h6>
<p class="mol-para-with-font">Julie Wheeler was set to be sentenced on June 17, Deanna Eder of the Southern District said Tuesday.<br />
Last year, Julie was charged with &#8216;submitting fraudulent applications to the Veteran&#8217;s Administration while serving as caretaker for an individual with Spina Bifida&#8217;, according to <a class="class" href="https://www.bdtonline.com/news/missing-west-virginia-woman-is-facing-prison-time-for-2019-fraud/article_2d3677c8-a4f3-11ea-b348-130ae719dc2f.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener">The Bluefield Daily Telegraph. </a><br />
Wheeler pled guilty on Feb. 11 to submitting fraudulent applications to the Veteran&#8217;s Administration while serving as caretaker for an individual with Spina Bifida, a birth defect that often results in a patient being unable to walk and relying on others for feeding, hygiene and other daily care.<br />
Investigators asserted that Julie had dishonestly told that VA that she had provided care for the an individual only identified as K. L., everyday for 18 months. She reportedly received a daily rate of $736 for providing that care.<br />
After pleading guilty in February, Julie was released pending her sentencing. She was facing 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. She was also facing paying restitution ranging from $302,131 to $469,983.<br />
Her sentencing date had originally been set for May 20. On Sunday evening, however, Wheeler was reportedly at Grandview State Park with her husband Rodney Wheeler, and the couple&#8217;s son.<br />
Rescue crews searched for Wheeler Sunday and Monday, after receiving reports that she had gone over the cliff side at an overlook at Grandview State Park on Sunday evening.</p>
<h6 class="mol-para-with-font"><strong><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-348244" src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Julie-Wheeler-6.jpg" alt="Julie Wheeler 6" width="680" height="407" />Julie Wheeler was taken into custody [photo], on Tuesday. She now faces new charges for her latest scam, additional to the potential 10-year jail sentence for healthcare fraud </strong></h6>
<p class="mol-para-with-font">Her &#8216;disappearance&#8217; would have meant she would have avoided the anticipated hefty fine of $250,000 fine and a decade of jail time.<br />
Husband and wife have been arrested for the false &#8216;missing person&#8217; scam. They are charged with fraudulent schemes, conspiracy, willful disruption of a governmental process and obstructing an officer, among other offences.<br />
They are being held on a $100,000 bond, each.</p>
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West Virginia man ‘faked his wife’s disappearance by pretending she fell over a cliff so she would avoid jail time for fraud’ – but investigators found her hiding in her closet after a costly search
