A man from Texas who he posed as a high-ranking military man pleaded guilty to participating in a fraud involving a false romantic interest through which cheated on women for an approximate total of $1.6 million.

Women, often between 70 and 80 years old Y widowed or divorcedthey were persuaded to send cash or checks to addresses and businesses they controlled Fola Alabialso known as Folayemi Alabi, 52, who lived in Richmond, Texas.

Last week, Alabi pleaded guilty to criminal conspiracy and money laundering in federal district court in Rhode Island, the US attorney’s office said in a statement Monday.

According to prosecutors, a person posing as a general sent abroad made online friends with women and, little by little, earned his trust feigning a romantic or personal interest.

According to prosecutors, the money was deposited in bank accounts he controlled, before being quickly withdrawn or transferred. Federal agents who searched Alabi’s cell phone found photos and videos of packages containing cash and checks he 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 he lost $334,000, according to an affidavit filed in the case. She felt”shame, embarrassment and guilt for being cheated” and, as a result, didn’t have enough money to eat or pay bills, according to the affidavit.

A Rhode Island woman sent in a check for $60,000 and was about to send another $240,000, but her bank found out she may have been the victim of fraud, blocked her account and contacted local police, authorities said .

He married 14 women and cheated them all

In February 2022, the Indian police arrested a fraudster who married at least 14 women comfortable position by posing as a health official who had to travel a lot around the country, a deception with which he justified himself his long absences at home.

Ramesh Chandra Swain, 65, allegedly asked his wives to lend him money o have it transferred to your account bank before disappearing.

The scammer’s victims were usually middle-aged divorced women with good jobs and high wage earners seeking marriage or a romantic relationship.

Swain’s deception was finally exposed when one of his wives was seized with messages coming to her phone from various women. When he called three of them and all claimed to be their husbands’ spousesHe reported the incident to the police.

At the time of his arrest, Swain had 14 bank accounts, eleven credit cards and five different forms of identification.

With information from AP

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