A Pawnee, Oklahoma, lady was arrested this week, accused of posing as a person beneath a number of aliases and scamming 4 out-of-state aged girls out of $1.5 million.
The victims, ages 64 to 79, thought they had been in a romantic relationship and despatched cash within the type of Apple reward playing cards, money, cashier’s checks and wire transfers. The individual on the different finish, nevertheless, was Christine Joan Echohawk, 53, Oklahoma Legal professional Normal Gentner Drummond mentioned in a press release.
Alleged aliases utilized by Ms. Echohawk included “Edward Lotts,” to whom one of many victims despatched over $600,000. The sufferer despatched the cash in order that “Lotts” may repay a debt, obtain $2 million, and have the sufferer transfer in with him, in keeping with an affidavit.
That sufferer, whose title was redacted, offered her home to boost the cash.
One other alleged alias was “Jason Morris.” One sufferer despatched over $100,000, beginning in October 2024, for provides and gas for an oil tanker based mostly in Turkey.
One other despatched over $200,000 that was supposed for use on gas for a stranded oil tanker in Alaska loaded up with 700,000 barrels of oil. After the tanker returned, the sufferer thought she would transfer in with “Morris.”
Ms. Echohawk can be accused of posing as “Glenn Goadard” and telling a sufferer that she had identified him since school. The sufferer despatched $250,000 for bills associated to a supposed monetary portfolio he was sending her from Syria.
Ms. Echohawk can be accused of telling victims to misinform banks that put a maintain on the switch of funds after they suspected senior fraud.
Ms. Echohawk allegedly laundered the proceeds by means of numerous accounts into cryptocurrency, which she then despatched to “Maurice Dinero,” which authorities consider is one other alias.
The fees embrace 4 counts of laundering illegal proceeds and one rely of utilizing a pc to violate Oklahoma statutes. If convicted, Ms. Echohawk faces between 24 and 62 years in jail and fines of as much as $260,000.
“A majority of these scams that concentrate on seniors are particularly egregious. I applaud the work of my Shopper Safety Unit to combat for these victims and to carry accountable their alleged perpetrator,” Mr. Drummond mentioned.
