Man Arrested & Extradited For Allegedly Faking Death For $2M Insurance Claim

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A 54-year-old Plymouth man has been arrested and extradited to the United States for allegedly faking his own death – with the help of his wife and son – for a $2 million insurance claim payout.

On Tuesday, the United States Attorney's Office announced the arrest and extradition of Igor Vorotinov, who made his initial appearance in federal court on Nov. 19, 2019 in Minneapolis. He was arrested on Nov. 14 in the Republic of Moldova and was extradited to the United States, arriving on Nov. 17.

In 2010, Igor Vorotinov named his wife, Irina Vorotinov, 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 alive.

Irina Vorotinov, 51, has since pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud and one count of engaging in monetary transaction in criminally derived property. She was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison and is currently serving her sentence.

The son of the two, 28-year-old Alkon Vorotinov, pleaded guilty to misprision of a felony and was sentenced to three years of probation and over $2 million in restitution to be paid jointly.

Igor Vorotinov faces one count of mail fraud and is currently in custody in the Sherburn County Jail.