BATON ROUGE- A Prairieville woman has pleaded guilty to the theft of Veterans Affairs benefits that were intended for her mother who died four year ago.
    
U.S. Attorney Walt Green said in a news release Tuesday that 45-year-old Michelle Akridge admitted to stealing more than $77,000 in United States Department of Veterans Affairs Dependency and Indemnity Compensation.
    
Green says Akridge failed to report that her mother had died and illegally withdrew the benefits for her personal use. At her re-arraignment hearing, Akridge also admitted she had collected the funds for four years.
    
This investigation is being conducted by the Department of Veterans' Affairs Office of Inspector General. Assistant United States Attorney Jessica M.P. Thornhill is prosecuting the matter.