Indiana woman married her biological father to get his VA benefits while he was in prison, cops say
A woman in Indiana allegedly married her biological father in an attempt to get his $350 Veterans Affairs check, according to local investigators.
Now she’s facing charges of bigamy and falsifying a marriage license.
Kimberly Tempel, 44, of Tell City, allegedly falsified a marriage application by claiming that she wasn’t already married, and that her new “husband” was no closer than a second cousin, according to WPTA. Investigators say Tempel allegedly wrote the name of her biological father, Bradly McCollom, 59, who is currently in prison after a parole violation, in the field.
The marriage was finalized at at the Vanderburgh County Court House the same day she filled out the application, which police said featured numerous inaccuracies.
She allegedly lied about McCollom’s true identity and omitted that he is a convicted sex offender. He reportedly has a federal child porn charge on his record, according to Law and Crime.
Smaller details — like both parties’ addresses — were also fake, according to law enforcement.
The incident began on July 26, 2024, when Tempel and McCollom were legally married in the state of Indiana. Tempel was reportedly in the middle of a divorce this time.
McCollom’s sister — Tempel’s aunt — told police that her niece had falsified the records to steal her brother’s $350 VA payments. She also provided law enforcement with documentation from a DNA genealogy service showing that McColloum, who is due to be released in July, had a near 100 percent likelihood of being Tempel’s father.
Police arrested and charged Tempel, but she has since been released. She is facing charges of providing false information on marriage license application and bigamy.
