Mr. Damian Williams, a United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, says Ghanaian influencer Mona Faiz Montrage, aka Hajia4Real, is set to face serious consequences after a guilty romance scam plea.
Hajia4Real pleaded guilty for her role in laundering the proceeds of a series of romance scams before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah. L. Cave.
The Ghanaian female songstress was alleged in May last year to be a member of a criminal conspiracy that specifically targeted old and vulnerable Americans through romance scams from 2013.
But after a recent hearing in court, U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said in a statement: “Mona Faiz Montrage knowingly received money stolen from older Americans through romance scams, was arrested abroad, and now faces serious consequences for her actions.
“Romance scams such as Montrage’s harmed her vulnerable, elderly victims not only in the cruel betrayal of trust in the realisation that their online romantic connection was fiction, but by also callously stealing their money.
“This Office and our law enforcement partners are relentless in bringing fraudsters who target Americans to justice, no matter where they are.”
The statement also added that Hajia4Real pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to receive stolen cash and will face up to a maximum of a five year jail term.
According to the statement, Hajia4Real has also agreed to pay forfeiture in the amount of $2,164,758.41 and make restitution in the same amount.
She is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Paul A. Crotty.
GNA
WE
24 Feb. 2024
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