Mona Faiz Montrage, aka Hajia4Reall
Social media influencer, Mona Faiz Montrage, widely known as Hajia4Reall, has pleaded guilty in a $2 million romance scam case, according to the United States Attorney’s office website.
The plea follows her reported extradition to the United States from the United Kingdom in May 2023 over her alleged involvement in a scam targeting older, single Americans.
Hajia4Reall admitted to one count of conspiracy to receive stolen money, a charge that carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
As part of the plea agreement, she also agreed to forfeit $2,164,758.41 and make restitution in the same amount. U.S. District Judge, Paul A. Crotty, is scheduled to sentence her at a later date.
The guilty plea was announced by the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Damian Williams, who emphasised the serious consequences faced by individuals involved in romance scams. Williams highlighted the harm inflicted on vulnerable, elderly victims who were deceived into believing false romantic connections online.
Background information provided by prosecutors revealed that Hajia4Reall was a member of a criminal enterprise based in Ghana that committed a series of frauds against individuals and businesses in the United States.
The enterprise conducted romance scams by deceiving victims into believing they were in romantic relationships with fake identities, convincing them to transfer money to accounts controlled by the enterprise members.
Initially pleading not guilty to all charges in May 2023, Hajia4Reall was released on bail. However, in a now-deleted Instagram post on June 26, 2023, she reiterated her innocence, expressing gratitude for the support of her fans and expressing confidence in eventual vindication.
In a statement to address her guilty plea shared on her Instagram on February 21, 2024, Hajia4Reall explained that she voluntarily flew from Heathrow to JFK in May 2023 to face the criminal case in the Southern District of New York.
The statement reportedly written by her legal team asserted that her plea does not define her as a person and is not reflective of the individual she is today.
She expressed gratitude for the support of her fans, family, and legal representatives throughout the process.
“In May 2023, Ms. Montrage voluntarily boarded the flight from Heathrow to JFK to face the criminal case in the Southern District of New York.
“At that time, she took the first step to closing that chapter of her life. Today, she took responsibility for her bank accounts being used to receive funds from illicit conducts that ended in 2019. Ms. Montrage’s plea does not define her as a person and is not reflective of the individual she is today.
“Ms. Montrage is thankful for the support of her fans, family, and legal team throughout this process,” the statement said.