A Florida lady and her confederate have been sentenced for scamming a girl out of greater than $3 million {dollars} in a psychic scheme.
Samantha Stevens, 51, pretended to be a psychic when she befriended a girl in Miami in 2012 and satisfied her that her household was cursed and wanted her companies.
Stevens and her confederate, Michael Paul Guzman, 42, used the greater than $3 million they conned the girl out of to pay for autos, property, and playing, in accordance with the U.S. Legal professional’s Workplace.
The girl satisfied the sufferer that the one technique to rid her and her household of the curse was to permit Stevens to carry out cleaning rituals on giant sums of cash.
Samantha Stevens, 51, scammed a girl out of greater than $3 million by telling her that her household was cursed
Michael Paul Guzman, 42, was an confederate within the scheme that left one lady with out $3 million
The cleaning rituals went on for years, officers say, with Stevens persevering with to inform the sufferer the curse nonetheless had not been lifted.
Finally, the sufferer ran out of cash in 2016 and that’s when Stevens broke off contact.
Stevens and Guzman each pleaded responsible to cash laundering costs in a cope with prosecutors, regulation enforcement officers mentioned.
On high of telling the girl her household was curse, Stevens advised the sufferer hurt would come to her and her household with out the rituals.
‘Stevens claimed she wanted to carry out rituals on giant sums of cash in an effort to carry the curse. Failure to take action—the sufferer was led to consider—would end in hurt to her and her household.’
Based on the Miami New Occasions, the pretend psychic argued in court docket her ceremonies have been an expression of her faith.
Stevens additionally mentioned the sufferer ‘obtained precisely what she bargained for.’
Stevens advised the sufferer to rid her of the curse, she needed to carry out cleaning rituals on giant sums of cash
After Stevens minimize off the girl in 2016, he reached out to regulation enforcement to report the rip-off.
As a part of the deal, Stevens and Guzman will even should pay $3.198 million in restitution to the sufferer.
The case was investigated by Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Legal professional for the Southern District of Florida, and Particular Agent in Cost Matthew D. Line and Assistant U.S. Legal professional Thomas Haggerty prosecuted.
Assistant U.S. Legal professional Emily Stone will deal with the asset forfeiture proceedings.
Stevens will serve for 2 years and 6 months whereas Guzman has been sentenced to 3 years and two months
The Florida incident definitely is not the primary psychic rip-off to make headlines.
In February, one lady was arrested after she used a pretend psychic to swindle her mom out of a £50million portray.
Sabine Coll Boghici, 48, tricked Genevieve Boghici, 83, whose late husband was an artwork collector, into handing over Sol Poente (1949) by Tarsila do Amaral by having a pretend psychic inform her the portray was ‘cursed.’
The celebrated art work value £48million was beforehand exhibited at New York’s Museum of Trendy Artwork (MoMA).
Law enforcement officials pose with Sol Poente by Tarsila do Amaral, which is value £48million alone
The enduring Brazilian art work was exhibited at New York’s Museum of Trendy Artwork in 2018
