An American woman who pretended to be an heiress faces extradition to Northern Ireland to face allegations of defrauding investors of over $150,000. She was convicted in a Los Angeles fraud revealed on the "Queen of Con" podcast.
British and U.S. investigators accused Marianne Smyth, 54, of scamming five consumers by luring them to invest with her as a mortgage counselor in Northern Ireland from March 2008 to October 2010.
Officials say she stole £135,570 (US$172,000) from five people, promising to invest it but keeping it for herself. On February 23, Maine issued an arrest warrant for her arrest and extradition to Northern Ireland, where she faces four counts of fraud by abuse of position and four counts of theft.
Bangor will hold an extradition hearing on April 17. No Smyth attorney responded to a request for comment. The Guardian reports that prosecutors in court suggested Smyth could serve up to 10 years for each charge.
Smyth allegedly defrauded five customers while operating as an independent mortgage adviser for An Independent Mortgage Solution Ltd. Her job was to "safeguard the financial interests of her clients," according to a U.S. District Court of Maine lawsuit. On behalf of British extradition officials, U.S. prosecutors argued she stole her customers' money.
Smyth's fraud and theft were reported to Northern Ireland police in July 2009. However, she had left the U.K. and returned to the U.S., authorities claimed. In court filings, J.S. said he met Smyth in 2009 when she handled his mortgage. The complaint stated that Smyth offered him “to invest in a high interest-bearing account held with the Commonwealth Bank of Australia.”
The allegation stated that J.S. and his wife provided Smyth a £20,000 investment check on June 15, 2009. It said the pair never saw or heard from her again.
According to investigators, the cheque was deposited into Smyth's bank account the day after it was issued and there was no proof that the cash were invested or returned to the couple.
follow for more updates