Gary Giordano, a former suspect in the disappearance of his travel companion Robyn Gardner, has filed suit against American Express in an effort to collect on an insurance policy he took out on the missing woman.

The suit against AE requests that the company shell out $3.5 million to Giordano for failing to pay him the death benefit he says he deserves after Gardner presumably died following her Aug. 2 disappearance.

While Gardner's body has yet to recovered, Gardner, 51, says the accidental death policy was part of his travel insurance that not only gave him coverage, but covered his traveling partners as well. Robyn Gardner's policy is worth $1.5 million, according to ABC News.

When somebody takes out a policy and there is no body, they are required to wait 365 days before making a claim, American Express told the news outlet.

As Gardner disappeared in August of 2011, this means that Giordano will have to wait out the full year if he wants to collect on the policy.

According to reports, iordano tried to collect on the insurance policy just two days after he notified authorities about Gardner's disappearance. In effort to explain the seemingly suspicious move, Giordano told Good Morning America in December that he was just following the advice of his attorney.

My lawyer at the time, Michael Lopez, said you need to call insurance immediately, Giordano said.

Richard Forester, Gardner's boyfriend at the time of her disappearance, told ABC that the new lawsuit only makes him more suspicious of Giordano.

He's exploiting Robyn's disappearance, and trying to make a small fortune off of it, Forester said. I didn't think it was possible to be more suspicious of Giordano, but this absolutely does make me more suspicious of him.

Giodano was prime suspect in the disappearance of 35-year-old Robyn Gardner. In the months following the incident, Arubian authorities detained him as they tried to build their case. He was eventually released.

According to Giordano, he and Gardner were snorkeling on Aug. 2 off the coast of Aruba when she went missing.

At some point, I became distressed and found out that I had a problem coming back to shore. Robyn was, I thought, behind me, and she wasn't. I turned, did not see her, and I went for help, Giordano Told ABC in December.

Giordano said he last saw Gardner at around 4:15 p.m. Aug. 2, but did not tell anyone she was missing until 6 p.m., an hour and 45 minutes later.

While claiming his innocence, He later speculated to ABC News that she might have been a victim of a human trafficking crime.

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