United States Attorney John C. Richter
Western District of Oklahoma

April 15, 2009

CONTACT: Bob Troester
                405/553-8999

FEDERAL GRAND JURY INDICTS HARRAH WOMAN FOR EMBEZZLING DECEASED SOLDIER’S LIFE INSURANCE

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma—John C. Richter, United States Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma has announced that a federal grand jury in Oklahoma City has indicted TRISHA DAWN FISH, 30, of Harrah, Oklahoma, for embezzlement of life insurance funds intended for the minor child of Army Specialist Jeffrey S. Henthorn.

According to the indictment, Specialist Henthorn and Fish were married, had a child in 1998 and divorced in 2000.  Henthorn died in Iraq on February 8, 2005.  The indictment alleges that Fish subsequently appeared before the Kickapoo Tribal Court in McCloud, Oklahoma, and requested to be appointed the guardian and fiduciary of the child for the purpose of receiving the life insurance proceeds from a serviceman’s insurance policy left to the child by Specialist Henthorn.  The funds were a part of the Service Member’s Group Life Insurance (SGLI), a low cost insurance program provided to military servicemembers and administered by Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense.  Specialist Henthorn designated that 100% of the funds were to go to the child.  The indictment alleges that in less than a year, Fish embezzled and misappropriated approximately $400,000.00 which had been entrusted to her as the guardian and fiduciary of Specialist Henthorn’s child.

Fish was arraigned this afternoon in U.S. District Court and released on bond.

If convicted, Fish faces up to 5 years in federal prison and a $250,000.00 fine. The public is reminded that the indictments are merely an accusation and that the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. Reference is made to the indictment for further information.

The Servicemember’s Group Life Insurance (SGLI) is available to members of the armed services, including Reservists, Guardsmen, cadets and midshipmen of the service academies, as well as commissioned officers of the Public Health Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Currently there are 2.4 million military members covered under SGLI, and another 3 million military family members covered under the Family SGLI..  Further information about SGLI is available at www.insurance.va.gov.

This case is the result of investigations conducted by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of the Inspector General, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Department of the Defense, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys James F. Robinson and Robert Don Gifford.