In Australia, a man who allegedly faked his own death in Britain to collect a £1.25 million (AUD $1.9 million) life insurance payout has been discovered.
After months of speculation regarding his whereabouts with his four children, Alfredo Sanchez was located in Sydney.
The 47-year-old, whose fingerprints were discovered on his own death certificate, had been living under the alias of Hugo Sanchez and surviving on takeaway chicken and chips.
His 44-year-old wife, Sophie, is currently serving a two-year sentence in a British prison due to her involvement in the fraud that has led to her husband being sought.
Reports indicate that Australian police are coordinating with their UK counterparts.
When confronted about the accusations of fraud, Sanchez acknowledged awareness of UK reports claiming he and his wife deceived an insurance company, but he firmly denied the allegations.
“I know, I know (about the article),” he stated, adding, “not true.” He claimed that his wife was not imprisoned but was instead in England “visiting family” and would return to Australia next year.
“Sophie is not in jail; she is with family, that’s all,” he emphasized.
When questioned about the striking coincidences, such as sharing the same surname, physical similarity, birth date, and having a wife with the same name while denying being the fugitive, the Ecuadorian-born Sanchez shrugged.
“Excuse me, I am innocent until proven guilty,” he declared. “I have not done anything. If they want me, they can come and get me.”
Sanchez and his wife, previously living in the UK, found themselves in financial trouble, leading him to allegedly urge her to inform his employers at HMV that he had died abroad.
According to her, he had been cremated.
It is believed the couple moved to Australia with their children shortly after receiving a life insurance payout in 2005.
However, authorities grew suspicious when someone continued to use the deceased man’s HMV staff discount card.
Evidence against Sanchez accumulated in the UK after detectives discovered his fingerprints on the death certificate.
Mrs. Sanchez was apprehended last September upon flying to the UK from Australia for her sister’s wedding.
She informed police that her husband was alive.
Prosecutors described the fraudulent scheme as “not very professional” but acknowledged it had been “planned and carried out over a period of time.”
A court heard that Mrs. Sanchez expressed being “genuinely very remorseful” for her actions and took responsibility for them, which stemmed from the debt her husband had incurred.
She admitted to six fraud offenses while denying seven others, which will remain on file.
Until a few weeks ago, her husband operated a tattoo parlor in Sydney, which had to close permanently after being firebombed for the second time.
