A Plymouth woman has pleaded guilty to scamming an insurance company out of $2 million in life insurance proceeds after falsely claiming her former husband died.
Irina Vorotinov, 49, pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud and one count of engaging in a monetary transaction in criminally derived property in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis.
The scheme, which began in 2010, involved Vorotinov purchasing a life insurance policy on her former husband’s life from Mutual of Omaha Insurance Company, listing herself as the beneficiary.
When Igor Vorotinov was reported dead in Moldova in 2011, Vorotinov filed a death claim with Mutual of Omaha, despite knowing he was not dead. The insurance company paid out $2,048,414.09, which Vorotinov then laundered through various accounts in the United States, Switzerland, and Moldova.
The FBI and IRS-Criminal Investigation Division investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Maclaughlin described as a complex international crime.
‘The hard work of the agents on this case illustrates the ability of the United States government to effectively investigate complex international crimes,’ Maclaughlin said. ‘Would-be fraudsters should be warned that it is very difficult to steal millions of dollars from United States insurance companies with impunity.’
Vorotinov is expected to be sentenced in the coming weeks and faces up to 20 years in prison for each count.
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Key Facts
- State: Minnesota
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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