Woman charged with wrongly taking Navy death benefit

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Woman charged with wrongly taking Navy death benefit
The Associated Press
Posted : Friday Jun 13, 2008 6:38:25 EDT

NORFOLK, Va. — A federal grand jury has indicted a woman on charges of fraudulently taking a $100,000 Navy death benefit from a sailor she married after her student work visa expired.

Evgenia Popravka pleaded not guilty to wire fraud in U.S. District Court on Wednesday. A trial has been set for June 24. She was earlier charged with marriage fraud conspiracy.

Federal prosecutors say Popravka, a Ukranian national, married Navy sailor Mark VanHorn in July 2005 solely to evade deportation.

VanHorn was killed outside a Virginia Beach nightclub in January 2007 in an incident police say was unrelated to the marriage fraud case. Popravka subsequently received a $100,000 Navy death benefit.

Her attorney, Eric Korslund, said the marriage was legitimate and the death benefit is rightfully Popravka’s.


Article at: http://www.navytimes.com/news/2008/06/ap_deathbenefit_061208/