Plymouth woman arraigned in fake death case with ties to Wareham arrest

A Plymouth woman accused of faking her own death and fabricating medical records to avoid prosecution was previously arrested in Wareham, authorities said.

Shannon Wilson, 44, was arraigned in Brockton Superior Court on charges including furnishing false identifying information, obstruction of justice, forgery, uttering a false or forged public record and failure to appear after release on bail, according to Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz.

Prosecutors allege Wilson carried out a prolonged scheme between 2022 and 2023 to interfere with multiple criminal cases by falsely claiming she was terminally ill with cancer. She allegedly told courts she was undergoing treatment, had entered hospice care and ultimately had died.

The case includes a direct connection to Wareham. On July 15, 2023, Massachusetts State Police stopped Wilson in Wareham for erratic driving. During the stop, she allegedly gave troopers a false name, claimed to be visiting from Ireland and again said she was terminally ill.

Police later found items bearing her real name and placed her under arrest.

In one case, defense counsel submitted a letter purportedly from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute stating Wilson was terminally ill. Investigators later confirmed she was not a patient there.

In another instance, a screen-captured image of a death certificate was provided to the court, which listed terminal brain cancer as the cause of death. Authorities said no official death certificate was ever filed in Massachusetts or Rhode Island, and no hospice or funeral services were conducted.

On those claims, courts dismissed charges against Wilson and waived associated fees.

Wilson also failed to comply with court-ordered conditions and missed scheduled appearances. In one instance, an acquaintance who had posted bail on her behalf recovered the money after being told Wilson had died. Weeks later, Wilson appeared at the person’s home and admitted she had fabricated her death, authorities said.

Wilson pleaded not guilty and was held on $50,000 cash bail. A pretrial hearing is scheduled for May 19 in Brockton Superior Court.