Social media influencer, Mona Faiz Montrage, widely known as Hajia4Reall, has pleaded guilty in a $2 million romance scam case, according to the United States Attorney’s Office website.
The plea follows her reported extradition to the United States from the United Kingdom in May 2023 over her alleged involvement in the scam targeting older, single Americans.
Hajia4Reall admitted to one count of conspiring to receive stolen money, a charge that carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. As part of the plea agreement, she also agreed to forfeit $2,164,758.41 and make restitution in the same amount. U.S. District Judge, Paul A. Crotty, is scheduled to sentence her at a later date.
The guilty plea was announced by the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Damian Williams, who emphasized the serious consequences faced by individuals involved in romance scams. Williams highlighted the harm inflicted on vulnerable, elderly victims who were deceived into believing false romantic connections online.
Background information provided by prosecutors revealed that Hajia4Reall was a member of a criminal enterprise based in Ghana that committed a series of frauds against individuals and businesses in the United States.
The enterprise conducted romance scams by deceiving victims into believing they were in romantic relationships with fake identities, convincing them to transfer money to accounts controlled by the enterprise members.
Initially pleading not guilty to all charges in May 2023, Hajia4Reall was released on bail.
However, in a now-deleted Instagram post on June 26, 2023, she reiterated her innocence, expressing gratitude for the support of her fans and expressing confidence in eventual vindication.
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