Florida man charged with faking his death gets 14 years

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — A Florida businessman who faked his own death to defraud insurance companies has been sentenced to 14 years in prison.

The Florida Times-Union (http://bit.ly/2kTNMss ) reports that 63-year-old Jose Lantigua was sentenced Wednesday in Jacksonville after he pleaded guilty to bank fraud, identity theft and other charges.

The former owner of a furniture business, Lantigua and his wife told people that he had mad cow disease and was traveling to Venezuela for treatment. According to his plea agreement, he went there to obtain a fake death certificate.

He was arrested last year in North Carolina while applying for a passport in another man's name.

Lantigua's wife, who also pleaded guilty to her part in the scam, received five years of probation.

Information from: The (Jacksonville) Florida Times-Union, http://www.jacksonville.com