Kanawha County Woman Indicted for Fraud Scheme

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- United States Attorney Mike Stuart announced that a federal grand jury has indicted a Kanawha County woman in connection with an elaborate fraud scheme. A five-count indictment charged Holly Urlahs, also known as Holly Anderson, 32, of Elkview, with bank fraud, mail fraud, forging the signature of a judge and two counts of aggravated identity theft.

The indictment alleges that Urlahs falsely claimed to have sued Charleston Area Medical Center (CAMC) and was expecting a large financial settlement from her lawsuit. Under these false pretenses, she set out to defraud financial institutions and an insurance company. According to the indictment, as part of her fraudulent scheme, Urlahs altered a $100 cashier’s check to reflect an amount over $8.4 million. The indictment also alleges that Urlahs provided fake documents with forged signatures and a personal check for $1 million, although she knew she did not have sufficient funds in her account, to an insurance company to obtain an annuity contract. Urlahs’ check was returned for insufficient funds.

“The allegations contained in this indictment are very serious,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “I commend the work of the investigators in this case – they were able to unravel the defendant’s elaborate fraud scheme.” 

The investigation was conducted by the West Virginia State Police-Bureau of Criminal Investigations and the West Virginia Insurance Commissioner’s Special Investigations Division. Assistant United States Attorney Kathleen Robeson is handling the prosecution.

If convicted on all counts, Urlahs faces up to 55 years in prison. 

Please Note:  An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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