One court for di United States don jail Ghanaian social media influencer and musician Mona Montrage one year.
Dis na afta im plead guilty say im receive proceeds from ogbonge romance scams for di US.
For February dis year, Mona, wia im stage name be ‘Mona 4 real’ admit to conspiracy to receive moni wey dem tiff and also laundering moni from romance scams, bifor di US magistrate Sarah Cave.
Na so di court tok say dem go soon pronounce im sentence.
Now ‘Mona 4 Real’ afta four months, don get im sentence wey im go spend one year inside jail for di US.
Wetin be di verdict of di court
Di US district judge Paul Oetken sentence Mona to 12 months and one day inside prison.
US attorney Damian Williams tok say “Mona Faiz Montrage receive illegal moni from elder Americans wey be victims of romance scams wey im now dey face serious consequence of im actions.”
Damian Williams tok say Romance Scam like di one Mona engage for, dey “harm vulnerable elderly victims not only say na betrayal of trust say dia online romantic connection na fake, but also tiffing dia moni.”
Di law enforcement officer for di US say dem go pursue any fraudsters wey dey target American pipo, no mata wia dis fraudsters dey for dis world.
In addition to di one – year prison term, Mona Faiz Montrage wey be 32 years, go also serve wetin dem dey call “supervised release for three years.”
Apart from di prison term and supervised release, di court also order say make Mona “forfeit $216,475 of di moni wia im for also pay restitution of $1,387,458m.”
According to sabi pipo, di court don give Mona lenient sentence sake of im plead guilty wia im take responsibility for im actions.
For February afta im plead guilty, ‘Mona 4 Real’ don tok say im learn big lesson for dis mata.
For one statement by im management, dem tok say “Mona don take responsibility say dem use im bank account take collect money from illicit conduct wey end for 2019.”
Dis statement also tok say “dis guilty plea no dey define Mona as a pesin wey im no reflect di personality im be today.”
Afta dat court session, Mona delete all im pictures and videos for im instagram account.
Details of di charge and tins wey Mona do for dis romance scam
From di indictment statement and court proceedings, Mona bin member of one criminal syndicate (The Enterprise) wey base for west Africa from 2013 to 2019.
Dis group don commit plenty fraud against individuals and businesses for di US, wey include romance scam, di US state attorney office don tok for one statement afta di sentence.
Dem add say many of di victims of dis scam group na vulnerable, older men and women wey dey live alone for di US.
Dis group don dey do romance scam by sending di victims emails, SMS and oda social media messages wey deceive dem to believe say dem dey inside romantic relationships wit pesin among ‘di enterprise group’ wey get fake identity.
Once dem succeed in convincing di victims say dem dey inside romantic relationship wit dem, dey ask dem to transfer moni to bank accounts of di pipo dem tink say dem dey inside relationship wit.
Di US attorney office add say “dis bank accounts dey under di control of members of di syndicate – di enterprise.
Mona don receive moni from “approximately 40 victims of romance fraud wia di members of di syndicate don trick into sending di moni.”
Among di false pretenses wey dem use to induce di victims to send di moni to Mona, na say “dem wan use take transport gold to di US from overseas, payment to resolve fake federal bureau of investigation (FBI) investigation and to make payments to assist fake US army officer to receive funds from Afghanistan.”
In total, Mona Montrage (aka Mona 4 Real) im bank accounts don receive ova $2m in fraudulent funds for di enterprise group syndicate.
How dem arrest Mona
Police arrest Mona on 10 November 2022 for di United Kingdom.
On 12 May 2023, dem extradite am from di UK to di US to face di charges for court.
US attorney, Damian Williams tok say “Mona Montrage be member of di criminal conspiracy wey target older American pipo through dis romance scam.”
“Dis scam dey break victims financially and emotionally but law officers and partners don arrest am abroad wia im go face justice for di US.”
But as im appear before court for di first time for May 2023, di 31 year-old influencer plead not guilty to di charges of wire fraud, money laundering, receipt of stolen money and conspiracy.
Na so dem grant am bail on $500,000 bond wit GPS tracker for im leg, according to di prosecutor im office.
Who be ‘Mona 4 real’
Mona na public figure wey rise to fame as ogbonge influencer for Ghana.
Through im Instagram profile wit di username “Hajia4real”.
With 4.3 million followers, im dey promote brands and companies.
Im dey among di top ten profiles for Instagram wey pipo dey follow well-well for Ghana.
Di 31-year-old also be business woman wey get cosmetic brand wey im also get event company.
Afta im feature for some music videos as vixen, Mona enta music.
Im release im first song for November 2020 and since den, im don produce or feature on at least twelve songs before im chop arrest.
- Man dey police net afta community pipo find body parts of missing children for back of im house
- Why dem extradite Ghana influencer Hajia4Reall from UK to US
- Popular social media influencer react afta she plead guilty to romance scam accuse for US
