Kanawha Woman Pleads Guilty to $8M Fraud Scheme

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – In a stunning turn of events, Holly Anderson, known as Holly Urlahs, 32, of Elkview, Kanawha County, has admitted to orchestrating an elaborate $8 million bank fraud scheme. The United States Attorney Mike Stuart announced that Anderson pleaded guilty to charges of bank fraud and forging the signature of a federal judge.

According to Stuart, Anderson manipulated a cashier’s check to exceed $8 million in an attempt to dupe financial institutions. Her deceptions didn’t stop there; she also forged documents, including a judge’s signature, to support her fraudulent claims. “Urlahs devised quite a fraud scheme,” Stuart said. “Investigators did great work, ultimately unraveling Urlahs’ web of deceit.”

Anderson falsely claimed she had won a significant lawsuit against Charleston Area Medical Center (CAMC), expecting a multimillion-dollar settlement. With this false pretense, she targeted financial institutions and an insurance company. Anderson altered a $100 cashier’s check to show an amount over $8.4 million, provided fake documents with forged signatures, including that of a federal judge, and submitted a personal check for $1 million to secure an annuity contract. Her check was promptly returned due to insufficient funds.

The West Virginia State Police-Bureau of Criminal Investigations and the West Virginia Insurance Commissioner’s Special Investigations Division conducted the investigation. United States District Judge Irene C. Berger oversaw the hearing, with Assistant United States Attorney Kathleen Robeson handling the prosecution. Anderson faces up to 35 years in prison and a $1.25 million fine when sentenced on January 21, 2021.

A copy of this press release can be found on the U.S. Attorney’s Office website for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information are available on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:20-cr-00125.

Follow our coverage on Twitter at @SDWVNews and @USAttyStuart for more updates.

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