A Massachusetts woman faces new charges after she provided court officials with a fake death certificate in an attempt to avoid her criminal charges, officials say.

Shannon E. Wilson, 44, was indicted by a Plymouth County grand jury on several charges after she previously told court officials in September 2022 that she suffered from terminal brain cancer and then her defense attorney showed screenshot images of a death certificate in May 2023, according to the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office.

Although no certified death certificate was filed with the court, the woman’s criminal charges were dismissed and all fees were waived.

When investigators looked further into the woman’s supposed death, they found that no death certificates were registered in Massachusetts or Rhode Island and that no hospice, palliative care or funeral services has been provided for Wilson as she had claimed.

Wilson faces one count each of furnishing false identifying information, obstruction of justice, forgery, uttering of a public record and failure to appear after released on bail.

What led to the criminal indictment?

Officials say that Wilson faced multiple criminal matters in Massachusetts court between 2022 and 2023.

As those cases proceeded, officials say that Wilson represented, both personally and through her attorneys, that she was suffering from terminal cancer, was undergoing treatment, had entered hospice care and ultimately died.

On Aug. 15, 2022, Wilson was arraigned in Hingham District Court after a traffic stop. Defense counsel told the court that Wilson was terminally ill and had a limited life expectancy.

An acquaintance of Wilson posted a $400 bail on her behalf, and she was released subject to conditions, officials said.

In the following months, Wilson failed to comply with the conditions of release and failed to appear in court. When prosecutors tried to revoke her bail, Wilson said she had been hospitalized, officials said. The court decided not to revoke her bail, but instructed her that medical issues did not excuse failure to follow the court’s orders.

On Sept. 12, 2022, Wilson appeared in Plymouth District Court on unrelated charges, and again told court officials that she suffered from terminal brain cancer, officials said.

In January 2023, her defense attorney presented a letter purportedly from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute showing terminal disease and hospice case, officials said.

“Relying on those representations, the court dismissed the Plymouth case,” the district attorney’s office said.

Then in May 2023, Wilson’s defense attorney reported receiving messages that Wilson had died and later provided a screenshot image of a death certificate, officials said. The court dismissed the criminal matter and waived all fees.

The document listed terminal brain cancer as the cause of death, named a Rhode Island physician as certified and identified a Boston funeral home, officials said.

An investigation did not find proof of those documents for Wilson, officials said.

In August 2023, the acquaintance who posted Wilson’s $400 bail was unexpectedly visited by Wilson, who admitted she had fabricated her death, officials said.

On July 15, 2023, Wilson was arrested by state police in Wareham after a traffic stop for driving erratically, officials said.

She identified herself under a fake name, claimed to be visiting from Ireland, denied her true identity and again said she was terminally ill, officials said.

There were items in her possession bearing her true name, officials said, and she was arrested.

“The indictments allege that at critical stages of court proceedings — including arraignments, bail determinations, continuances, dismissals, and return of bail — Wilson knowingly made false representations that she was terminally ill or deceased, and that courts relied on those representations in taking judicial action,” the district attorneys office said in a statement.

Wilson is currently in state custody and will appear for her arraignment at a later date, officials said.

SPRINGFIELD – The Planning Board gave preliminary approval Wednesday to a controversial 50-home Wendover Road subdivision, but urged the developer to keep in close contact with neighbors who aired concerns about drastic changes they expect.

Developer Thomas Bretta purchased 18 acres at 90 Wendover Road from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield in May for $1 million. Bretta plans to build a subdivision in an area home now to small trees and brush.

His engineer, Robert Levesque, unveiled the preliminary plan to the board. It shows one entrance off Wendover Road that will link to three new streets, each ending in a cul-de-sac.

In total there will be 50 lots ranging in size from 7,500 square feet to nearly one acre.

In a preliminary estimate, Bretta said he expects to sell the homes for $500,000 to $600,000 and hopes to begin construction late this year or early in 2027.

“This is very early in the steps,” Planning Board Chairman Leo Florian said. “There is a whole lot of work to be done but we are getting a little glance of what the project will look like.”

The board approved the preliminary plan in a 6-0 vote. The next move will be for Bretta to return with a definitive site plan that shows far more information, such as utility placement, storm water drainage and road and sidewalk details, Florian said.

The subdivision will be constructed between Island Pond and Wendover roads and Amanda Street. It is across the street from Pope Francis High School and will abut the Mary Dryden elementary school.

Neighborhood concerns

About 20 neighbors attended the meeting. Few spoke against it. They instead asked the developer to work with them on issues such as traffic, leaving a tree buffer between homes and preventing water and sewer problems in the neighborhood.

The property is zoned for single-family homes, so it is difficult to block the project completely. In addition, the Conservation Commission has already ruled there are no wetlands on or near the property that could constrain development.

After the purchase, new City Councilor Gerry Martin proposed having the city purchase the property by eminent domain. That was shot down by the city’s law department, which ruled the idea would put the city in legal jeopardy.

“A big development like this seriously affects the quality of life and impacts the three roads,” said Francis Ryan, referring to Overlook Drive and Surrey and Wendover roads.

He estimated the development would bring an additional 150 cars to the neighborhood.

Michael Carvalho also aired concerns about additional traffic, adding the city recently put in stop signs at Wendover and Surrey to address the growing number of cars traveling through the area.

“There seem to be challenges and safety concerns when traveling by foot or by car,” he said. “I think this development could make this more dangerous at least during peak traffic times.”

Bethany Romano, president of the East Forest Park Neighborhood Council, said neighbors have aired concerns about losing trees that serve as buffers to homes. She said the neighborhood will look much different if the property is clear cut.

The 2011 Springfield tornado, which directly hit the property, knocked down most of the mature trees at 90 Wendover Road, as well as destroying what was formerly Cathedral High School. Most of what is located on the property is brush and small trees, Levesque said.

“A lot of the trees that we have in the central portion of the property are basically secondary successional species,” he said. “A lot of that area will be cleared for the development.”

But Levesque said street trees will also be planted with the development.

Planning Board members encouraged Bretta to work with the neighbors now and during the project.

Bretta has already spoken with some abutters individually and in small groups, but is expected to meet with the East Forest Park Neighborhood Council in March. In addition, he talked to the neighbors who attended the Planning Board after the preliminary plan was approved.

Planning Board member Rosemary Morin recommended that Bretta and Levesque bring more detailed information to the March meeting, citing many concerns about trees.