Ghanaian Influencer, Mona Fiaz Montrage, known in showbiz as Hajia 4Real, is likely to spend about 95-years in jail over her role in a romance scheme.
According to information published on May 15, 2023, on the U.S. Attorney’s Office (Southern District of New York) website, from at least in or about 2013 through in or about 2019, Mona 4Real was a member of a criminal enterprise (the “Enterprise”) based in West Africa that committed a series of frauds against individuals and businesses in the United States, including romance scams.
She received over $2 million in fraud proceeds and pretended to marry one victim to further the fraud scheme.
The statement also said: “Mona received money from several victims of romance frauds whom members of the Enterprise tricked into sending money. Among the false pretenses used to induce victims to send money to MONTRAGE were (i) payments to transport gold to the United States from overseas; (ii) payments to resolve a fake FBI unemployment investigation; and (iii) payments to assist a fake United States army officer in receiving funds from Afghanistan.”
She was however arrested in the United Kingdom on November 10, 2022.
The 30-year-old has been charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one count of wire fraud, one count of money laundering conspiracy, and one count of money laundering, each of which carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
Montrage is also charged with one count of receipt of stolen money, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, and one count of conspiracy to receive stolen money, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
This implies that the influencer could spend about 95 years in prison.
(Note however that: The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of MONTRAGE will be determined by a judge.)
Meanwhile, Hajia was extradited from the United Kingdom on May 12, 2023. She will be presented before U.S. District Judge Paul A. Crotty, to whom the case is assigned.