In a recent announcement, Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, disclosed the guilty plea of MONA FAIZ MONTRAGE for her involvement in laundering the proceeds of a series of romance scams. MONTRAGE admitted guilt to conspiracy to receive stolen money before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah L. Cave.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams emphasized that MONA FAIZ MONTRAGE knowingly received money stolen from older Americans through romance scams and now faces serious consequences for her actions. The scams perpetrated by MONTRAGE and her associates not only resulted in financial losses for the victims but also caused emotional distress due to the betrayal of trust in online romantic connections.
According to the allegations, MONTRAGE was part of a criminal enterprise based in West Africa that carried out various frauds, including romance scams, targeting vulnerable individuals and businesses in the U.S. The victims, often elderly and living alone, were deceived into believing they were in romantic relationships with fictitious identities created by the Enterprise. Once trust was established, the victims were coerced into transferring money to accounts controlled by the perpetrators under false pretenses.
MONA FAIZ MONTRAGE, a well-known Ghanaian public figure with a large following on Instagram, received funds from victims of romance frauds orchestrated by the Enterprise. The funds were obtained through deceitful means such as fake transportation payments for gold, resolving fictitious FBI investigations, and assisting a fake U.S. Army officer in receiving funds from overseas.
As part of her guilty plea, MONTRAGE, aged 31 and residing in Accra, Ghana, has agreed to pay forfeiture in the amount of $2,164,758.41 and make restitution in the same amount. She faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Paul A. Crotty.
The successful investigation was attributed to the diligent work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit, led by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mitzi Steiner and Kevin Mead.
This case serves as a reminder of the relentless pursuit of justice against fraudsters who target Americans, regardless of their location. The legal proceedings underscore the commitment to holding individuals accountable for their involvement in financial crimes that exploit and harm innocent victims.
-By Ella Forson | Ghana Crimes
