Fla. Woman Arrested for Faking Her Death to Claim $260,000

A Loxahatchee, Fla. woman, who faked her death in Jamaica to collect on a $260,000 life insurance policy has been arrested by investigators from the Department of Financial Services’ Division of Insurance Fraud. Golden Marie Vasquez, also known as Golden Marie Cox and Golden Marie Ramdeen, was arrested Friday.

Vasquez is charged with one count each of insurance fraud, forgery and theft over $100,000. She faces up to 15 years in prison and a $25,000 fine if convicted.

Vasquez bought a $60,000 life insurance policy in 1996 and then bought an additional policy with $200,000 in benefits in 2000. Both policies were with Prudential Insurance Company.

In June of 2003 a death claim was filed with Prudential Insurance alleging that Golden Marie Ramdeen was killed in a motor vehicle accident in Jamaica, on the date of March 26, 2003. Prudential received a Jamaican death certificate, a bogus police report from the Jamaican constabulary and a death benefits claim form. The beneficiary of this policy was her ex-husband Jerry Ramdeen.

Prudential refused payment for the claim and it was referred to the Division of Insurance Fraud in June of 2004.

Investigators first determined that Golden Marie Ramdeen was not deceased. She divorced from Jerry Ramdeen in February of 2003. She obtained a new Florida driver license on March 25, 2003; the day before she supposedly died in Jamaica, in her maiden name of Golden Marie Cox. Jerry Ramdeen filed with the Broward courts for a legal name change on April 16, 2003, just 21 days after his ex-wife’s alleged demise. Then Golden Marie Cox and Jerry Vasquez married again on July 11, 2003 to become Mr. Jerry Vasquez and Mrs. Golden Marie Vasquez.

It was further discovered that Golden Ramdeen was the probable writer of the death claims request form. In addition, four fingerprints were developed and identified as belonging to Golden Marie Ramdeen on the death claim and benefits forms, leading to her arrest.