PLYMOUTH, MASS. (WHDH) - A Plymouth woman was arraigned Tuesday in Brockton Superior Court after she allegedly engaged in a multi-year scheme to avoid facing criminal charges by faking her own death, Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz announced.
Shannon Wilson, 44, is charged with two counts of Furnishing False Identifying Information and one count each of Obstruction of Justice, Forgery, Uttering A False or Forged Public Record, and Failure to Appear After Release on Bail.
“She lied directly to numerous judges, lied to counsel, lied to her ex-fiancé,” Prosecutor Alex Zane said.
Wilson was first arrested in August 2022 following a traffic stop. State police said she was driving under the influence on Route 3 in Norwell and gave troopers the wrong name when asked to identify herself. During her arraignment in Hingham District Court, Cruz said she lied about having a terminal illness and limited life expectancy.
“This is when she first raises she has terminal brain cancer. She has serious medical issues, and she only expects to live six to nine months,” Zane said.
Wilson was released following that arraignment, but Cruz said she failed to comply with her conditions of release and did not appear as ordered. When the state sought for her bail to be revoked, Wilson claimed she had been hospitalized.
On September 12, 2022, Wilson appeared in Plymouth District Court on shoplifting charges. Zane said Wilson again claimed she suffered from terminal brain cancer during that case.
In January 2023, Cruz said Wilson’s defense presented a letter allegedly from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute indicating terminal illness and hospice care. The Plymouth case was then dismissed, but a subsequent investigation determined Wilson was not a patient at Dana-Farber.
Cruz went on to say, “In May 2023, defense counsel reported receiving messages that Wilson had died and later provided a screen-captured image of a death certificate. Although no certified copy was filed, the court dismissed the matter and waived all associated fees. The document listed terminal brain cancer as the cause of death, named a Rhode Island physician as certifier, and identified a Boston funeral home. Further investigation established that no death certificate was registered in Massachusetts or Rhode Island and that no hospice, palliative care, or funeral services had been provided for Wilson.”
Wilson’s ex-fiance told 7NEWS by phone that he drove Wilson to a Weymouth building, believing she was going to cancer treatment appointments.
Court paperwork explained that the two had broken up, and during that time, Wilson’s ex-fiancé was informed that Wilson had died. A few weeks later, Zane said Wilson showed up at his door.
“He thinks he’s seen a ghost. She tells him, she did, in fact, fake her own death to avoid the charges,” Zane said.
Zane said defense attorneys in several pending cases against Wilson were called by family members, updating her condition, and even provided a fake death certificate in court.
“She’s not the one who made these phone calls, and she’s not the one who made that document,” said Josh Werner, Wilson’s current Defense Attorney.
Werner blames the scheme on Wilson’s ex-fiance.
“He was so wrapped up with Ms. Wilson at the time, he was willing to protect her in any way he thought necessary in the circumstances and set up this scenario she finds herself in,” Werner said.
Wilson’s ex-fiancé told 7NEWS that that’s an “absolute lie.” Investigators have learned for sure through medical insurance records that Wilson had.
Wilson pleaded not guilty to all charges against her and she was held on $50,000 cash bail following Tuesday’s arraignment. She is due back in court on May 19 for a pre-trial hearing.
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