BURLINGTON — A former Brattleboro woman has been ordered to serve three more months behind bars because she failed to report to the U.S. Probation Office after completing her federal prison sentence for bilking the Social Security Administration out of $328,000 in benefits.

Ella Mae Woods, 77, was initially sentenced to one year and a day in prison for continuing to collect benefits for her dead mother over 28 years. Woods was told once released from prison she would be on one-year of supervised release. The court also ordered the immediate restitution of $328,000 in the wire fraud case.

Woods completed her prison sentence Nov. 9, 2024 and was given 72 hours to report to the U.S. Probation Office, but she was a no-show.

Chief Federal Judge Christina Reiss issued an arrest warrant Dec. 1

See Full Page