A woman has been sentenced to 16 months in federal prison after she falsely claimed to be a U.S. Marine Corps combat veteran who had been injured in Afghanistan to claim benefits.
Amanda Kate Walker Bass, 36, of West Tennessee, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of fraudulent use of military medals in February, according to a release by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee issued July 30. U.S. District Judge Mark S. Norris sentenced Bass to 16 months in prison and three years of supervised release. The court will enter a judgment of restitution at a later date.
Court information cited by the Department of Justice states that Bass claimed to be a multiple-time deployed Marine veteran who was the lone survivor of an enemy ambush in Afghanistan in 2010 that left her seriously wounded. She “used this fictitious narrative for financial gain,” including starting a GoFundMe page to garner financial benefits and sharing her purported claims online in order to gain donations, free labor, and other benefits.
In July 2021, she was the focus of The Daily Memphian news article, titled, “Disabled, legally blind veteran now dealer of luxury goods.” She, of course, was never a veteran.
The DOJ advised victims of Bass’ fraud who have not already submitted claims for restitution to reach out to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
“Veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces represent the very best ideals of service and sacrifice for our nation, and our office will always protect and vindicate their interests,” U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said in a statement. “Fraudulently claiming military service or medals for unjust personal enrichment not only victimizes our military heroes, but also preys upon the trust that citizens have in our great veterans. We are pleased to impose a real consequence on this faker and thief.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney William C. Bateman III prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States with assistance from the State of Tennessee’s Twenty-Fifth Judicial District Attorney General’s Office.
Other Similar Incidents
Bass’ story follows other similar cases of fraud.
Earlier this month, a woman pleaded guilty to stealing $160,000 worth of veterans’ and social security benefits that were meant for a family member.
Barbara Ferrell, a 63-year-old woman from Seth, W. Va., pleaded guilty to theft of government money, admitting she stole approximately $160,394.02 while serving as the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) appointed fiduciary and Social Security Administration (SSA) representative for a family member.
Michael Duane Dyson, 46, of Tallahassee, Fla., was sentenced in July to four years in jail and ordered to pay $28,1118.36 in restitution to the VA after misrepresenting himself as a U.S. Army combat veteran to fraudulently collect VA benefits. Dyson received over $114,000 in VA-funded medical treatment, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said in a press release.
Last month, a woman who stole $240,000 from the VA and used the funds to pay off her student loans, was sentenced to one year in prison.
In February 2026, a Cincinnati fiduciary pleaded guilty to stealing more than $158,000 from elderly and ill veterans between June 2021 and November 2022.
On April 7, the DOJ announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division aimed “to zealously investigate and prosecute” those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars, as part of President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud that is chaired by Vice President JD Vance.
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