Mount Airy woman accused of forging will, deeds

Dec. 29--A Mount Airy woman was arrested last week for alleged scams such as faking a will and filing phony insurance claims.

Frances Goins Hill, 47, of Riverside Drive, was charged Dec. 21 with three counts of forgery of deeds or wills, five counts of obtaining property by false pretense, two counts of insurance fraud and embezzlement.

The forgery charges stem from offenses that allegedly occurred in 2012.

They involve Hill's obtaining deeds that belonged to her deceased husband, James Michael Hill, and forging the will of her deceased mother-in-law, Mary Elizabeth Hill Carter, according to Det. Reta Nichols of the Surry County Sheriff's Office.

Warrants also allege that the defendant illegally withdrew $4,000 from James Hill's estate.

In unrelated situations, Hill is additionally accused of filing two fraudulent insurance claims, both involving damages from fictitious automobile accidents.

One claim resulted in the defendant receiving nearly $9,000, according to warrants.

"It's very complicated," said Nichols, who began investigating Hill following a suspicious barn burning at the Riverside Drive residence in June.

"When we started investigating, things weren't quite what they should be," she said. "We started finding all this other stuff."

The detective noted that she was limited in her ability to comment as the investigation is still ongoing.

"There will be other warrants issued," she said.

The sheriff's office is assisted in the ongoing investigation by the State Bureau of Investigation and the N.C. Division of Insurance.

Hill was released from the Surry County Detention Center after posting a $75,000 secured bond.

She is scheduled to appear in court on March 15.

Reach Terri Flagg at 415-4734.

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