Russian law enforcement agencies accidentally caught the former deputy housing minister of Astrakhan Oblast, Marianna Stupina, who escaped from prison 14 years ago with a fake death certificate.
Medianews.az reports, citing "Qafqazinfo," that Stupina was convicted in 2012 on charges of corruption and fraud.
According to investigation information, Stupina devised an incredible plan to escape from prison. She obtained a fake death certificate by using the body of a woman physically resembling her in the Tatarstan region. Her husband went to the morgue, confirmed that the body belonged to Stupina, and even presented the cesarean section scar on the body as an identifying mark of Stupina.
Based on the fake death certificate, Stupina, officially declared dead, lived a secret life under a new identity using another woman's passport. Investigations show that during this time, she never severed contact with her family. Her daughter’s phone records and her husband’s confessions confirmed this fact.
The former deputy minister's being alive was revealed during a murder investigation. The police discovered that Stupina was hiding under a fake name and that the woman initially suspected was actually alive. The fake documents Stupina used while hiding were also seized when she was caught at her location.
Marianna Stupina will now face both old and new charges. In addition to the corruption conviction since 2012, new criminal charges will be brought against her for "faking her own death," "deceiving government agencies," and "document forgery," and the former deputy minister will be sent to prison.