Two women have been charged in a years-long romance scam that defrauded elderly men out of over $7 million, according to Manhattan federal prosecutors in a court filing on Saturday, June 6.
Lisa Stanley and Gina Guy allegedly duped at least 16 victims from 2009 until their arrests this year, as detailed in a criminal complaint filed in the Southern District of New York.
Stanley and Guy were arrested on June 25, with Stanley apprehended in North Miami Beach, Florida, and Guy in New York City, according to a release from the U.S. attorney’s office.
The women are accused of luring their elderly victims into purported romantic or close personal relationships through in-person meetings, phone calls, text messages, and an online dating platform. Once they gained their victims' trust, the women convinced them to send money under false pretenses, such as for fake businesses and organ transplants, prosecutors said.
Both women face charges of money laundering, wire fraud, and conspiracy, with each charge carrying a maximum prison sentence of 20 years.
“As alleged, Rosanna Lisa Stanley and Gina Guy callously defrauded elderly victims who were simply looking for companionship. They allegedly used the millions of dollars in fraud proceeds to lead lives of luxury at their victims’ expense,” U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said. “As today’s arrests demonstrate, perpetrators of romance scams will be held accountable for their crimes.”
In one case, Stanley allegedly convinced an elderly male victim that they were in an exclusive romantic relationship. She repeatedly requested money for rent and living expenses, which the victim provided. She also obtained the victim’s credit card and changed the account’s password, racking up thousands in charges. Additionally, she convinced him to wire money for a supposed catering business, using $220,000 to pay off loans for her boat and luxury car.
In another instance, Stanley allegedly conned a victim out of approximately $1,000,000 by pretending to be a psychic who could "untaint" and "protect" his money, promising to return it cleaned.
Guy allegedly defrauded four elderly male victims out of at least $908,000 by claiming she needed money for medical procedures, including kidney transplants, but spent the money on personal expenses like luxury goods. She also convinced one victim to send her $708,000 to help him move his money to a bank with higher interest rates.
Together, Guy and Stanley persuaded another victim to send them thousands of dollars for a loan to buy a dressmaking business in New York City.
“Gina Guy and Rosanna Lisa Stanley allegedly took advantage of innocent individuals seeking companionship and exploited them for their own benefit,” said James Smith, FBI assistant director in charge. “Collecting millions of dollars from their victims, the perpetrators allegedly gained and betrayed the trust of primarily elderly individuals to fund their luxury purchases.”
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