Camden woman gets 41 months in federal prison for falsifying will

The Federal Courthouse and Post Office in El Dorado was the sight of Tuesday's proceeding where Donna Herring of Camden was issued a 41-month prison sentence for wire fraud associated with falsifying a will.
The Federal Courthouse and Post Office in El Dorado was the sight of Tuesday's proceeding where Donna Herring of Camden was issued a 41-month prison sentence for wire fraud associated with falsifying a will.

Donna Herring was sentenced to 41 months in the Bureau of Prisons by a federal judge this morning on one count of wire fraud stemming from the creation of a fake will.

Additionally, Herring will be on three years of supervised release after she serves her prison term. She will be prohibited from using controlled substances, owning firearms, taking on new debt or opening new lines of credit and all financial records may be reviewed by her probation officer as they see fit.

Charges stem from a federal indictment implicating the defendants in the falsification of a will belonging to Matthew Seth Jacobs, who was injured in the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil-rig explosion and received a multi-million-dollar settlement, which was payable beginning April 2012.

Jacobs died in an automobile accident on Jan. 19, 2015, at the age of 34.

After Jacobs’ death, his son, Jordan Jacobs, along with Matthew Jacobs’ brother, Laurence Reed, searched Jacobs’ home for his last will and testament but were unable to locate it. On Jan. 25, 2015, Donna Herring claimed to have discovered in a gun safe in Jacobs’ home a sealed envelope containing a duplicate of the will and testament. The ‘will’ left Jacobs’ son $50,000 for his education, and the remaining assets to Herring’s daughter.

Herring's daughter, Jordan Alexander Peterson, and Herring's sister and brother-in-law have also pleaded guilty to crimes involves in the case.

• For John Wayne Kinley, the hearing is set for 1:30 p.m. on Nov. 12.

• The sentencing hearing for Marion Diane Kinley is set for 9:30 a.m. on Nov. 13.

• For Jordan Alexandra Peterson, the hearing is set for 1:30 p.m. on Nov. 13.

• The restitution hearing for all defendants is set for 9:30 a.m. on Nov. 14.

El Dorado News-Times staff writer Caitlan Butler contributed to this story

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