ST. LOUIS • A Wentzville woman who collected thousands of dollars in veteran's benefits in her mother's name after the older woman's death pleaded guilty Tuesday to theft of government funds.

Victoria Jean Briley, 69, collected $138,000 in monthly payments made by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs after her mother's death in 2006, according to prosecutors. The funds were paid into a joint account in both her name and mother's name. Prosecutors say the theft continued for eight years.

Briley was indicted in June. She admitted to investigators that she had concealed her mother's death from the government, prosecutors said. It's not clear how the government discovered the scheme, nor why it took so long after the mother's death to notice the theft.

Briley faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine up to $250,000 at sentencing on Nov. 4.