A 44-year-old Indiana woman has been arrested on charges of bigamy and falsifying information on a marriage license after allegedly marrying her own father in an attempt to collect his veterans’ benefits.
Kimberly Tempel and her father, 59-year-old Bradley McCollom, were married in July 2024 at an Evansville courthouse.
According to court documents, they falsely claimed on their marriage license application that they were “no closer than second cousins.”
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However, DNA tests revealed a 99.9% probability that they are biologically father and daughter.
Adding to the legal complications, investigators discovered that Tempel was still legally married to another man during the first few days of her marriage to her father, constituting bigamy.
Authorities believe the marriage was a scheme to allow Tempel to collect McCollom’s $350 monthly veterans benefits. McCollom also reportedly falsified his address on the marriage paperwork.
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This is not McCollom’s first brush with the law. He has a history of failing to register as a sex offender and is currently serving time in federal prison in Arkansas for violating his probation. He is scheduled for release in July.
Tempel was arrested on February 21st and faces charges of false information in marriage license application and attempted bigamy. This unusual case highlights the lengths to which some individuals will go to defraud government programs.
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