Woman Charged In One Fund Scam Held On $200,000 Bail
BOSTON (CBS/AP) — A New York woman accused of scamming almost half a million dollars from the fund for Boston Marathon bombing victims was arraigned in court Friday.
Audrea Gause, 26, of Troy was arraigned Friday morning in Boston Municipal Court on a charge of larceny over $250. She pleaded not guilty to the charge and Judge Thomas Horgan set bail at $200,000 cash, according to the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office.
Gause had fought extradition from New York after her July 19 arrest. Her attorney said she denies any wrongdoing.
Last week, Gause waived extradition and she was brought to Massachusetts Thursday by state police assigned to the AG's office.
Attorney General Martha Coakley said Gause got a $480,000 check from the One Fund after using faked medical records to claim she was treated at Boston and New York hospitals for a traumatic brain injury suffered in the bombings. Authorities got a tip she may not have been in Boston that day and Boston hospitals said they didn't treat her.
Gause is accused of trying to withdraw $377,000 to pay a contractor to build a new home. Authorities say most of the money she received has been frozen and they are trying to retrieve it for the fund.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Mark Katic reports
Woman Charged In One Fund Scam Held On $200,000 Bail
Gause is one of two suspects arrested for allegedly scamming the fund. Branden Matteir of Boston is accused of filing a $2 million false claim, according to the AG's office.
Matteir also was in Boston Municipal Court on Friday for a continuation hearing in his case.
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