SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY, Va. -- A Southampton County woman will have to walk the straight and narrow for the next five years or face a sentence of 10 years for attempting to defraud her employer’s insurance company. Yvonne Hill, 53, of Newsom, Va., was found guilty on April 20, 2004 of trying to get money for an on-the-job injury that never occurred.

Hill alleged that a ceiling tile fell and struck her on the head while she was working at a shop in Franklin, Va. She also claimed she was struck by insulation and water that gushed everywhere when the tile fell. A ceiling tile actually fell; however, according to two witnesses Hill wasn’t near the tile when it fell and was not injured.

When questioned by Special Agent Russell L. Eley III, with the Virginia State Police Insurance Fraud Division, Hill admitted she fabricated the story in order to pay her medical bills from an automobile crash that occurred in the early 1990s.

Hill was found guilty of two felony counts of Attempting to Obtain Money by False Pretense. She was sentenced to ten years in prison, suspended for five years based on her successful completion of supervised probation. She was also ordered to pay $734 in court costs and $5,175 in restitution to the insurance company.

The Virginia State Police is committed to "Stamp Out" insurance fraud occurring in the Commonwealth. If you have knowledge of a fraudulent insurance scheme or suspect you may have been the victim of insurance fraud, report the activity to Virginia State Police Insurance Fraud Division on the insurance fraud hotline at 1-877-62FRAUD (1-877-623-7283) or visit www.stampoutfraud.com. You may also be eligible to receive a reward of up to $25,000.