A man from Texas, United States, who posed as a high-ranking military officer has pleaded guilty to participating in a scam in which women across the country were swindled out of approximately $1.6 million by someone who showed them romantic interest and often posed as an army general.
The women, often in their 70s and 80s and widowed or divorced, were persuaded to send money in cash or checks to addresses and businesses controlled by Fola Alabi, also known as Folayemi Alabi, 52, who lived in Richmond, Texas.
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Last week, Alabi pleaded guilty to conspiracy and money laundering in federal district court in Rhode Island.as reported by the Federal Prosecutor’s Office in a statement on Monday, accepting that he called himself ‘General Miller’.
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I felt shame, embarrassment and guilt for having been scammed
According to prosecutors, a person posing as a general sent abroad made friends online with women and gradually gained their trust by feigning romantic or personal interest.
The money was deposited into bank accounts he also controlled, before being quickly withdrawn or transferred. Federal agents who searched Alabi’s cell phone found photographs and videos of packages containing cash and checks. they had received from some victims, prosecutors said.
The victims were from Rhode Island, Tennessee, North Carolina, California, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Arizona, Texas, Idaho and South Dakota, according to authorities.
An Arizona woman lost $334,000, according to an affidavit filed in the case. She felt “shame, embarrassment and guilt for being scammed” and, as a consequence, statement, I didn’t have enough money to eat or pay the billsaccording to the jury.
(Be sure to read: The biggest con man: the ‘fine’ criminal who sold the Eiffel Tower twice).
A Rhode Island woman sent a check for $60,000 and was going to send another $240,000, but her bank discovered she might be a victim of fraud, blocked her account and contacted local police, according to authorities. .
The sentence is scheduled for April 25 of this year.
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*With information from El Universal (Mexico) / GDA
