The life insurance lawyers at our firm would like to share some famous cases of life insurance fraud with convictions for your reading entertainment.
- Jose Lantigua: The Florida businessman pretended to die of mad cow disease in Venezuela in 2013 and obtained $9 million in life insurance benefits. He was arrested in 2015 when he tried to apply for a passport under a false name. He pleaded guilty to bank fraud and conspiracy and was sentenced to 14 years in prison.
- Tina Caronna: The Tennessee woman was murdered by her husband Joe Caronna in 2008 and stuffed in the trunk of her car. Joe Caronna tried to collect $1 million in life insurance but was arrested after his mistress testified against him. He pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 25 years in prison.
- Michael Marin: The Arizona man set fire to his mansion in 2009 after failing to pay his mortgage. He claimed he escaped by using a scuba tank and a breathing apparatus, but investigators found evidence of arson. He was convicted of arson and faced up to 16 years in prison. He committed suicide by swallowing cyanide pills in the courtroom after hearing the verdict.
- Clayton Daniels: The Texas man faked his death in a car crash in 2004 and tried to collect $110,000 in life insurance. His wife Molly Daniels helped him stage the accident and identify a burned corpse as his body. They were caught when Clayton was spotted working at a fast-food restaurant. The both pleaded guilty to insurance fraud and tampering with evidence and were sentenced to six and seven years in prison respectively.
- Diane McIver: The Georgia woman was shot and killed by her husband Tex McIver in 2016 while riding in their SUV. Tex McIver claimed it was an accident, but prosecutors argued he killed her for her $7 million estate and $1 million life insurance policy. He was convicted of felony murder and sentenced to life in prison.
- Rudy Kurniawan: The Indonesian wine collector faked his own death in Indonesia in 2003 and collected $2.5 million in life insurance. He then resurfaced in the US under a different name and became a notorious wine fraudster, selling counterfeit bottles of rare wines for millions of dollars. He was arrested in 2012 and convicted of mail fraud and wire fraud. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison and ordered to pay $28.4 million in restitution.
- Molly Martens Corbett: The North Carolina woman and her father Thomas Martens beat her husband Jason Corbett to death with a baseball bat and a brick in 2015. They claimed they acted in self-defense, but prosecutors argued they killed him for his $600,000 life insurance policy. They were both convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to 20 to 25 years in prison.
- Brenda Andrew: The Oklahoma woman and her lover James Pavatt shot her husband Rob Andrew in 2001 and tried to make it look like a home invasion. They planned to collect $800,000 in life insurance but were arrested after fleeing to Mexico. They were both convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death.
- Helen Golay and Olga Rutterschmidt: The two elderly women befriended homeless men in Los Angeles and took out life insurance policies on them. They then killed them by running them over with their cars and collected more than $2.8 million in payouts. They were convicted of murder and conspiracy and sentenced to life in prison without parole.
- Michele Williams: The Texas woman shot her husband Greg Williams in 2011 and claimed he committed suicide. She later changed her story and said he was killed by an intruder. She also tried to collect his $800,000 life insurance policy. She was arrested after forensic evidence contradicted her statements. She pleaded guilty to tampering with evidence and deadly conduct and was sentenced to 18 years in prison.
- Rakesh Bhayani and Nicholas Kutner: The two British conmen murdered wealthy businesswoman Carole Waugh in 2012 and hid her body in a car trunk. They then posed as her relatives and friends and drained her bank accounts, sold her property, and took out loans in her name. They also tried to claim her £4.3 million life insurance policy. They were convicted of murder and fraud and sentenced to life in prison.