Couple are hit with federal conspiracy charges after 'husband faked his wife's death by pretending she'd fallen off a cliff - while she was hiding in a closet to avoid going to prison over swindling the VA out of $300,000'

A federal grand jury has indicted a West Virginia couple on conspiracy charges after the husband allegedly pretended that his wife had fallen off a cliff and hid her in a closet so that she would not go to prison for a health care fraud scheme.   

Julie Wheeler, 44, conspired with her husband, Rodney Wheeler, 48, and others to obstruct justice by lying that she had fallen from Grandview Park overlook, part of the New River Gorge National River, according to a federal indictment unsealed on Wednesday. 

Rodney falsely reported her fall to the National Park Service on May 31, prompting an emergency 911 call and sparking a massive and costly search operation, according to court records.

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Rodney (left) and Julie Wheeler (right), from West Virginia, have been indicted on federal charges of conspiracy to obstruct justice in the wife's bogus disappearance. They pretended she fell off a cliff so she wouldn't go to prison for fraud 

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Authorities launched a large-scale search on May 31 after Rodney claimed his wife had fallen from Grandview Park overlook

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A rappeller was seen scaling the side of the cliff from which Julie purportedly plummeted

Rescue personnel found a shoe and cell phone that belonged to Julie at the base of the overlook.   

To further the conspiracy, the indictment alleges that Rodney also gave false statements to federal, state and local law enforcement officials concerning his wife's disappearance. 

Rodney reportedly told police Julie had plummeted from the cliff while trying to search for a missing earring. 

The search for the mom-of-two lasted the better part of two days and involved a National Guard helicopter that was deployed to scour the area and a diving crew that was dispatched to search waters in the gorge. 

Investigators also brought in sniffer dogs, while rappellers were seen scaling the side of the cliff from which Julie purportedly plummeted. 

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Rodney told police Julie had toppled from the cliff while trying to search for a missing earring. He searched a post asking people to 'pray' that she would be found

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Two days later, State Police found Julie cowering in a closet at home in Beaver, West Virginia 

The following day, Rodney took to Facebook, writing of his wife: 'They haven’t found her yet but I am holding out hope that she will be found and she is ok. I am heartbroken and lost right now but I have to have faith... please give us time to work through this and please keep us in your thoughts and prayers.' 

On June 2, the West Virginia State Police executed a state search warrant at the Wheelers’ home in Beaver and found Julie alive and cowering in a closet. 

United States Attorney Mike Stuart said Julie was already convicted of federal health care fraud for a 'most heinous crime' of swindling the VA's spina bifida fund out of nearly $300,000. 

'Instead of accepting responsibility and being accountable for her horrendous conduct, she and her husband concocted a really bad scheme and, in the process, risked the lives of first responders and the critical resources of taxpayers,' Stuart stated. 'It is unconscionable conduct by any measure.'

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In February, the mom-of-two admitted to swindling VA's spina bifida fund out of nearly $300,000

After being found in the closet, Julie was sentenced on June 30 to 42 months in prison and three years of supervised release for health care fraud. She was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $289,055.07. 

She pleaded guilty to the health care fraud charge on February 11 and admitted to submitting fraudulent applications to the VA Spina Bifida Health Care Benefits Program where she overbilled for providing spina bifida care for a family member.

The Wheelers are also charged with multiple felony and misdemeanor counts in state court relating to the false reporting of an emergency.