Woman Pleads Guilty To Faking Ex's Death In Insurance Scam
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A Plymouth woman pleaded guilty to an insurance scam involving the faking of her ex-husband's death.
Irina Vorotinov, 49, was accused of defrauding Mutual of Omaha Insurance Company of more than $2 million.
In 2010, Vorotinov's ex-husband named her and her son as beneficiaries on his $2.05 million life insurance policy with the Mutual of Omaha. In 2011, an anonymous phone call to police in Moldova led them to a putrefied dead body near the entrance of the Cojusna village.
On the body, police found a passport, hotel cards and contact phone numbers, all belonging to Igor Vorotinov. Irina Vorotinov traveled to a Moldova morgue, where she identified the corpse as her ex-husband.
Following payout on her claim, the criminal complaint says she transferred more than $1.5 million of it to bank accounts in Switzerland and Moldova.
In 2013, her son's computer was seized by Detroit custom agents. Digital photographs dating from spring 2013 showed Igor Vorotinov.
On Monday, Irina Vorotinov pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to committing fraud.
"The hard work of the agents on this case illustrates the ability of the United States government to effectively investigate complex international crimes. Would-be fraudsters should be warned that it is very difficult to steal millions of dollars from United States insurance companies with impunity," Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Maclaughlin said.