Ghanaian social media personality Mona Faiz Montrage, popularly known as Hajia4Real has pleaded guilty in the $2m romance scam case in the United States.
According to reports from the United States Attorney’s Office, Damian Williams, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, she pleaded guilty on February 21, 2024, to one count of conspiring to receive stolen money.
This charge carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
The US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Damian Williams, announced the development.
“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,” he said.
Attorney Williams insisted that the romance scam harmed vulnerable, elderly victims who had to face the tough reality that their romantic connections online were fake.
“This Office and our law enforcement partners are relentless in bringing fraudsters who target Americans to justice, no matter where they are,” he added.
Hajia4Real has also agreed to pay forfeiture for $2,164,758.41 and make restitution in the same amount.
She is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Paul A. Crotty later.
