Mona Faiz Montrage, popularly known as Hajia 4Reall, finally pleads guilty to romance scam. She’s agreed to forfeit $2,164,758.41 to the victims and make restitution in the same amount.
Her sentencing will be determined later, and she could face up to 5 years in jail.
Hajia 4Reall was arrested in the UK on November 10, 2022, for the alleged conspiracy and brought to the US in May 2023.
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced the guilty plea of MONA FAIZ MONTRAGE on February 21, 2024, for her role in laundering the proceeds of a series of romance scams. MONTRAGE pled guilty today to conspiracy to receive stolen money before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah L. Cave.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Mona Faiz Montrage knowingly received money stolen from older Americans through romance scams and was arrested abroad and now faces serious consequences for her actions. Romance scams such as Montrage’s harmed her vulnerable, elderly victims not only in the cruel betrayal of trust in the realization that their online romantic connection was fiction, but by also callously stealing their money. This Office and our law enforcement partners are relentless in bringing fraudsters who target Americans to justice, no matter where they are.”
Hajia 4Reall pled guilty to one count of conspiring to receive stolen money, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. Hajia 4Reall also agreed to pay forfeiture in the amount of $2,164,758.41 and make restitution in the same amount. Hajia 4Reall is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Paul A. Crotty.
