Millionaire accused of killing himself

An Australian millionaire who allegedly faked his own death to collect on $2.8 million in life insurance has been found.

Police said Harry Bentley Gordon had been in New Zealand since at least November 2002 and married a New Zealand woman in September. But it was his first wife, Sheila Gordon, who tipped off police that he allegedly was living in New Zealand as Robert Motzel.

The 56-year-old was arrested Tuesday after flying into a police trap in Sydney. He is charged with conspiracy to defraud, obtaining a financial advantage by deception and passport offences.

The self-made millionaire disappeared in Australia in June 2000 after his boat was found on rocks on a beach with its throttle on full, a broken windscreen and three empty champagne bottles on the floor.

Sheila Gordon said her estranged husband left Australia on a false passport in 2001. He allegedly told her his share of the life insurance policy was to be transferred to various overseas bank accounts.

Gordon was declared dead in 2001, but without a body the insurance company would not pay out on the policy, UPI reports.

V.Y.