NEWS / PA woman arrested for forging husband’s death certificate

A Pennsylvania woman was arrested for creating a fake death certificate for her husband in hopes of securing a refund from a construction business. The woman was able to recreate the signatures of Westmoreland County Coroner Tim Carson but printed an incorrect seal on the forged vital record.

Police were quoted by CBS News as stating that Lori Shawley generated her husband’s fake death certificate, including the forged signatures of Westmoreland County Coroner Tim Carson and his deputy, in an effort to get a refund for a $2,790 down payment she had made to North Carolina business Viking Steel Structures. The down payment had been made toward the construction of a $11,999 carport at Shawley’s residence.

The woman called the company stating that she needed the down payment paid back due to her husband passing. The company then demanded to see the husband’s death certificate, which Shawley promptly presented. However, Viking Steel employees got suspicious about the vital record, which looked computer generated.

“She just had some questions and really wasn't sure if it was legitimate,” Westmoreland County Coroner Tim Carson was quoted by CBS as stating. “A lot of the things were very similar. My signature was attested to it. She copied that and had my chief deputy as a witness to the certificate as well. So, she at least did her homework in terms of finding out who the coroner was, and who the chief deputy was.”

Carson noted that the seal on the forged document did not match the one used by the coroner’s office.

2 weeks after the refund request, Shawley’s husband Simon Shawley spoke with the police and confirmed he was, in fact, alive and well.

In addition to having her refund claim denied, Shawley now faces charges of forgery and attempted theft by deception. She is set to appear in court on October 15.