GUILTY NY - Peaches Stergo, 36, accused of $2.8 million dating wire fraud of 87-year-old Holocaust survivor - Manhattan, 25 Jan 2023

[ifindedout]

Also known as "Alice" and "April". Crimes occurred from 2017 to 2021. Indictment is undated.

Holocaust survivor swindled out of his life savings by woman he met on a dating website, prosecutors allege | CNN

A Holocaust survivor was swindled out of his life savings by a woman he met on a dating website, prosecutors allege in the latest romance scam targeting the elderly.

www.cnn.com

A Holocaust survivor was swindled out of his life savings by a woman he met on a dating website, prosecutors allege in the latest romance scam targeting the elderly.

Peaches Stergo, a 36-year-old Florida woman also known as Alice, was arrested Wednesday on one count of wire fraud for allegedly duping an 87-year-old man out of over $2.8 million that she used to buy Rolex watches, a boat and other luxury items, the US Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of New York announced today.

“The defendant callously preyed on a senior citizen simply seeking companionship, defrauding him of his life savings,” said Michael J. Driscoll, the assistant director in charge of the FBI’s New York field office when announcing the charges.

https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/press-release/file/1563861/download

 

[LadyL]

'could' do 20 years if convicted
this crime deserves a life sentence IMO

 

[dotr]

Sleazy, greasy, greedy scheme to up her ''snack bracket'', imo.

Woman admits to robbing Holocaust survivor of $2.8 million in romance scheme

A woman in Florida has admitted to stealing millions of dollars in life savings from a Holocaust survivor.

abcnews4.com

Woman Admits To $2.8 Million 'Sick' Romance Scam Of Holocaust Survivor | AM 800 KXIC

A woman admitted to scamming an 87-year-old Holocaust survivor out of $2.8 million as part of a romance plot.

kxic.iheart.com

rbbm
''Stergo continued to repeatedly demand the victim deposit money to her TD Bank account during the next four and a half years, which totaled $2.8 million in 62 total checks. The 87-year-old lost his life savings and was forced to give up his apartment while Stergo purchased a home in a gated community, a condominium, a boat and several cars, as well as took expensive trips with the money.

"This conduct is sick – and sad. Using the millions in fraud proceeds, Stergo lived a life of luxury, purchasing a home in a gated community and a Corvette, taking vacations at hotels like the Ritz Carlton, and buying thousands in designer clothing, while at the same time causing her elderly victim to lose his apartment. Thanks to the hard work of the FBI and this Office, Stergo is being held accountable for her fraud,” Williams said in the news release.''

 

[ifindedout]

Sentenced to 51 months in prison at the end of July.

Florida Woman Sentenced To 51 Months In Prison For Defrauding Holocaust Survivor Of $2.8 Million In Connection With Romance Scam

Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that PEACHES STERGO was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Edgardo Ramos to 51 months in prison in connection with her years-long scheme to defraud an 87-year-old Holocaust survivor of his life savings.

www.justice.gov

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Peaches Stergo callously defrauded an 87-year-old Holocaust survivor who was simply looking for companionship. She used the millions of dollars in fraud proceeds to live a life of luxury at the victim’s expense. But she did not get away with it. As today’s sentence demonstrates, perpetrators of romance scams will be held to account for their crimes.”

According to the Indictment and other filings and statements made in court:

From at least in or about May 2017, up to and including at least October 2021, STERGO engaged in a scheme to defraud an 87-year-old Holocaust survivor (the “Victim”) of over $2.8 million, which was his life savings.

STERGO met the Victim on a dating website approximately seven years ago. In or about early 2017, STERGO asked the Victim to borrow money to pay her lawyer, who she claimed was refusing to release funds from an injury settlement. After the Victim gave her the money, STERGO said the settlement funds had been deposited into her TD Bank account. In reality, bank records show STERGO never received any money from an injury settlement.

Over the next four and a half years, STERGO continued her lies. She repeatedly demanded that the Victim deposit money into her bank accounts. She claimed that if he did not, her accounts would be frozen, and he would never be paid back. In total, the Victim wrote 62 checks — totaling over $2.8 million — that were deposited into one of two of STERGO’s bank accounts.

In furtherance of the fraud, STERGO created a fake email account, intended to appear as if it belonged to a TD Bank employee. She also created fake letters from a TD Bank employee and fake invoices.

STERGO called defrauding the Victim her “business.” Once, STERGO told her real significant other that the Victim had said he “loved” her. STERGO thought that her successful manipulation of the Victim’s emotions was humorous, following up her message with “lol.” She also joked in a text message that the Victim was “broke” — that “[h]e don’t have anything else to pawn.” But when the scam was over — when the Victim was no longer sending STERGO money — she was upset, not because she felt bad for the Victim or had a sense of remorse, but because she was unwilling to earn money though legitimate employment; she preferred to be a fraudster. As she said in a text message, “I am just aggravated hurt frustrated that I haven’t made money . . . I don’t want to work . . . it’s too hard.”

While the Victim lost his life savings and was forced to give up his apartment, STERGO lived a life of luxury with the millions she received from the fraud: she bought a home in a gated community, a condominium, a boat, and numerous cars, including a Corvette and a Suburban. During the course of the fraud, STERGO also took expensive trips, staying at places like the Ritz Carlton, and spent many tens of thousands of dollars on expensive meals, gold coins and bars, jewelry, Rolex watches, and designer clothing from stores like Tiffany, Ralph Lauren, Neiman Marcus, Louis Vuitton, and Hermes.

In imposing today’s sentence, Judge Ramos noted that STERGO’s conduct was “unspeakably cruel” and motivated by “greed.”

* * *​

In addition to her prison term, STERGO, 36, of Champions Gate, Florida, was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $2,830,775 and forfeit the same amount, including the home she purchased in a gated community and over 100 luxury items she purchased with fraud proceeds, including Rolex watches, designer purses and clothing, and large amounts of gold and jewelry.

 

[rosesfromangels]

This is more common than ever makes the news. Many elderly victims are too ashamed to report these crimes.
All I have to say...is karma is a "b". May karma serve up exactly what Ms. Stergo should receive.

Amateur opinion and speculation

 

[LadyL]

Sentenced to 51 months in prison at the end of July.


According to the Indictment and other filings and statements made in court:

From at least in or about May 2017, up to and including at least October 2021, STERGO engaged in a scheme to defraud an 87-year-old Holocaust survivor (the “Victim”) of over $2.8 million, which was his life savings.

STERGO met the Victim on a dating website approximately seven years ago. In or about early 2017, STERGO asked the Victim to borrow money to pay her lawyer, who she claimed was refusing to release funds from an injury settlement. After the Victim gave her the money, STERGO said the settlement funds had been deposited into her TD Bank account. In reality, bank records show STERGO never received any money from an injury settlement.

Over the next four and a half years, STERGO continued her lies. She repeatedly demanded that the Victim deposit money into her bank accounts. She claimed that if he did not, her accounts would be frozen, and he would never be paid back. In total, the Victim wrote 62 checks — totaling over $2.8 million — that were deposited into one of two of STERGO’s bank accounts.

In furtherance of the fraud, STERGO created a fake email account, intended to appear as if it belonged to a TD Bank employee. She also created fake letters from a TD Bank employee and fake invoices.

STERGO called defrauding the Victim her “business.” Once, STERGO told her real significant other that the Victim had said he “loved” her. STERGO thought that her successful manipulation of the Victim’s emotions was humorous, following up her message with “lol.” She also joked in a text message that the Victim was “broke” — that “[h]e don’t have anything else to pawn.” But when the scam was over — when the Victim was no longer sending STERGO money — she was upset, not because she felt bad for the Victim or had a sense of remorse, but because she was unwilling to earn money though legitimate employment; she preferred to be a fraudster. As she said in a text message, “I am just aggravated hurt frustrated that I haven’t made money . . . I don’t want to work . . . it’s too hard.”

While the Victim lost his life savings and was forced to give up his apartment, STERGO lived a life of luxury with the millions she received from the fraud: she bought a home in a gated community, a condominium, a boat, and numerous cars, including a Corvette and a Suburban. During the course of the fraud, STERGO also took expensive trips, staying at places like the Ritz Carlton, and spent many tens of thousands of dollars on expensive meals, gold coins and bars, jewelry, Rolex watches, and designer clothing from stores like Tiffany, Ralph Lauren, Neiman Marcus, Louis Vuitton, and Hermes.

In imposing today’s sentence, Judge Ramos noted that STERGO’s conduct was “unspeakably cruel” and motivated by “greed.”

* * *​

In addition to her prison term, STERGO, 36, of Champions Gate, Florida, was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $2,830,775 and forfeit the same amount, including the home she purchased in a gated community and over 100 luxury items she purchased with fraud proceeds, including Rolex watches, designer purses and clothing, and large amounts of gold and jewelry.

should've been the full 20 years IMO
I hope she does terribly in prison

was also hoping they could or have sold all her luxury items to get him some money returned?
the article says she would have to forfeit them but idk what that means in terms of where they end up