Ghanaian socialite, Hajia 4 Reall whose real name is Mona Faiz Montrage has pleaded guilty to her involvement in laundering the proceeds of a series of romance scams.
This was announced on Wednesday by the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York.
According to an official report, the U.S Attorney, Damian Williams, said “Montrage plead guilty today to conspiracy to receive stolen money before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah L. Cave’.
The US Attorney detailed that “Mona Faiz Montrage knowingly received money stolen from older Americans through romance scams and 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 realization that their online romantic connection was fiction but by also callously stealing their money,” he added.
Mr Williams added that “This Office and our law enforcement partners are relentless in bringing fraudsters who target Americans to justice, no matter where they are”.
Accordingly, as part of Hajia 4Reall’s plea, the official report also says that she agreed to pay forfeiture for $2,164,758.41 and make restitution in the same amount.
This means Hajia 4 Reall is paying $4,329,516.82 in total, $2,164,758.41 to the victims and will pay the same amount to the U.S. authorities as forfeiture of the proceeds of her crime.
Hajia 4 Reall is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Paul A. Crotty.
