A bride in California was taken into custody after fraudulently applying for insurance at her event venue not once, but twice.
The saddest thing is that if she had quit while she was ahead, she might have gotten away with it.
37-year-old Vermyttya Miller is an actress in California. According to the California Department of Insurance, She booked her October wedding reception at The Knot in Glendale, along with a $10,000 "event cancellation insurance policy."
As the event approached, Miller contacted the Knot claiming to have suffered a "serious injury" by tripping on her dress, forcing her to cancel the event. She submitted medical records (that later turned out to be forged) and collected her $10,000 of insurance.
If Miller had stopped then, it's possible she would have collected the $10,000 scot-free whether she had an injury or not. But she simply couldn't stop herself.
Miller reached out to The Knot's insurance company once again, this time claiming the $10k check they sent her had been stolen. She also sent along forged police report which caught the insurance company's eye.
Upon closer inspection, the insurance company concluded that all the official documents Miller had shared were doctored in some way. The company pressed charges and Miller was soon taken into custody.
She pleaded no contest to "one count of felony insurance fraud" and sentenced to five years in prison on top of a $22,500 fine. Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara issued a statement, saying:
"Miller's trail of fraudulent claims led straight to a five-year jail sentence after department detectives unraveled her scheme. Insurance fraud is a felony with serious penalties and consequences. We are committed to uncovering fraud and working with prosecutors to bring criminals to justice."
In a since-deleted Facebook post, Miller thanked her family and friends for their support before turning herself in to Century Regional Detention Facility.
"I have to go but I will knock it out and come out better and start from where I left off with filming, music and the businesses I was starting."
Good luck with that, we guess.
The complete first season of Bridezillas is available here.
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