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TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — More information has come to light about the circumstances surrounding the recent arrest of a Tampa woman accused of hiding her deceased family member’s body in the woods.

Rebecca Vaugh, 64, was arrested on April 20 by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office after authorities identified the victim’s body, which was located on August 8, 2025.

The victim, later identified as 78-year-old Jacquelyn Cirone, was discovered in the 19000 block of Ramblewood Road, near the Van Dyke Wastewater Treatment Facility in Lutz.

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The office of U.S. Attorney Greg Kehoe said Vaughn is now being accused of a fraud scheme in which she profited more than $75,000 by collecting Cirone’s benefit payments from Social Security and the Teachers’ Retirement System of the City of New York after her death.

Vaughn spent the money on herself and others, the attorney’s office said. Authorities did not specify how long Cirone had been dead before her body was discovered or how long Vaughn had been fraudulently collecting her benefits.

Cirone was found wrapped in blankets, sheets, and plastic bags, and was then placed inside a mattress bag and left in the woods. The medical examiner reported that the remains had no obvious signs of trauma.

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In April, HCSO said Vaughn was the woman’s relative and had been caring for her at the time of death. She was charged with three felonies: unlawfully moving a human body, failure to report death, and tampering with physical evidence.

On Friday, the state attorney’s office announced a federal indictment that charged Vaughn with four counts of wire fraud and one count of theft of government money. If convicted on all charges, she could face a maximum of 90 years in federal prison.

Court records indicate that Vaughn’s case from April, which involves charges brought by the state, is still actively moving through the Hillsborough County court system.

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