EXCLUSIVE: See a breakdown of all six charges brought against Ghanaian socialite Hajia4Reall 

Ghanaian social media influencer, Mona Faiz Montrage, popularly known as Hajia4Reall, has been extradited from the United Kingdom to the United States to face charges of swindling over $2 million from older, single American men and women in a twisted romance scam.

On Monday, Mona Faiz Montrage, aged 30, appeared before the Manhattan federal court, where she pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against her.

Her lawyer and the prosecutor's office have confirmed that she is expected to be released on home detention in the coming days, being allowed to reside at her aunt's residence in New Jersey.

This release is subject to a $500,000 bond, and she will be monitored through a GPS tracking system using an ankle monitor.

According to a writ, the prosecutors stated, “As a result of committing the money laundering offences alleged in Counts Three and Four of this Indictment, MONA FAIZ MONTRAGE, the defendant, shall forfeit to the United States, pursuant to Title 18.

United States Code, Section 982 (a) (1), any and all property, real and personal, involved in said offences, and any property traceable to such property, including but not limited to a sum of money in United States currency representing the amount of property involved in said offences.”

The charges against Hajia4Reall are as follows:

Count One: Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud

Mona Faiz Montrage is charged with being a member of a criminal enterprise based in West Africa that committed frauds, including romance scams, against individuals and businesses in the United States. She is accused of using fake identities to deceive victims into believing they were in a romantic relationship and then convincing them to transfer money to bank accounts controlled by the criminal enterprise.

According to the indictment, Mona Faiz Montrage and other members of the criminal enterprise conducted romance scams by sending emails, text messages, and messages through online dating and social media websites to their victims. They used these communication channels to deceive vulnerable individuals, particularly older men and women living alone, into believing they were in a romantic relationship with someone. However, the person they were communicating with was actually a fake identity assumed by members of the criminal enterprise.

Once the members of the enterprise gained the trust of the victims using the fake identities, they employed various tactics to convince the victims, under false pretenses, to transfer money to bank accounts. The victims believed that these bank accounts were controlled by their supposed romantic interests, but in reality, they were controlled by members of the criminal enterprise, including Mona Faiz Montrage. Sometimes, the members of the enterprise also persuaded the victims to receive funds in their own bank accounts, unknowingly accepting fraud proceeds, and then transfer those funds to accounts controlled by the enterprise.

Additionally, Mona Faiz Montrage directly communicated with at least one romance scam victim, identified as Victim-1, and obtained money from them by pretending to be in a romantic relationship and falsely claiming to be married to Victim-1.

Count Two: Wire Fraud

Mona Faiz Montrage is charged with devising a scheme to defraud victims and obtaining money and property through false pretenses. She is accused of using wire, radio, and television communication in interstate and foreign commerce to execute the fraud schemes.

This simply means Mona Faiz Montrage is accused of knowingly creating and implementing a plan to deceive and defraud individuals in order to obtain money and property through false pretenses. She allegedly used various forms of communication, such as wires, radio, and television, across state lines and internationally, to carry out this fraudulent scheme. The specific allegations involve defrauding victims, including one referred to as “Victim-1,” through romance scams and receiving wire transfers and cash deposits. The charges are related to her involvement in a larger operation that aimed to perpetrate and facilitate fraud schemes, with the use of interstate wires transmitted through the Southern District of New York being a part of this scheme.

Count Three: Money Laundering Conspiracy

Mona Faiz Montrage is charged with conspiring to commit money laundering. She is accused of conducting financial transactions involving the proceeds of the wire fraud scheme in order to conceal and disguise the nature, location, source, ownership, and control of the unlawfully obtained funds.

Here, Mona is accused of being involved in a conspiracy to commit money laundering, along with other individuals known and unknown. The conspiracy took place from around 2013 to 2019 in the Southern District of New York and other locations.

The objective of this conspiracy was for Mona Faiz Montrage and the others involved to knowingly and willingly engage in financial transactions that would launder money. They allegedly knew that the funds used in these transactions were proceeds from some form of illegal activity. Specifically, the money involved was obtained through the wire fraud scheme mentioned in Counts One and Two of the indictment, which violates Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343.

The participants in the conspiracy conducted or attempted to conduct these financial transactions, knowing that their purpose was to conceal and disguise the nature, location, source, ownership, and control of the unlawfully obtained money. This action is also a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1956 (a) (1) (B) (i).

Count Four: Money Laundering

Mona Faiz Montrage is charged with conducting financial transactions involving the proceeds of the wire fraud scheme to conceal and disguise the nature, location, source, ownership, and control of the unlawfully obtained funds.

This means Mona is accused of money laundering. The alleged incidents occurred from around 2013 to 2019 in the Southern District of New York and other places.

According to the indictment, Mona Faiz Montrage knowingly engaged in a financial transaction, or attempted to do so, where the money involved was obtained through some form of illegal activity. Specifically, the funds were proceeds from the wire fraud scheme mentioned in Counts One and Two of the indictment, which is a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343.

Mona Faiz Montrage allegedly conducted or attempted to conduct this financial transaction, knowing that its purpose was to conceal and disguise the nature, location, source, ownership, and control of the unlawfully obtained funds. The transaction was designed to make it difficult to trace and identify the true origin and ownership of the proceeds of the specified unlawful activity.

Count Five: Conspiracy to Receive Stolen Money

Mona is charged with conspiring to commit the offense of receiving stolen money. She is accused of receiving, possessing, concealing, and disposing of goods, wares, merchandise, securities, and money that had been stolen and crossed state and United States boundaries.

Mona Faiz Montrage is accused of conspiracy to receive stolen money. The alleged incidents took place from around 2013 to 2019 in the Southern District of New York and other locations.

According to the indictment, Mona Faiz Montrage, along with others who are known and unknown, conspired and agreed to commit an offense against the United States. The offense in question is a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2315.

As part of this conspiracy, Mona Faiz Montrage, along with others, is alleged to have received, possessed, concealed, stored, bartered, sold, and disposed of goods, merchandise, securities, and money that had a value of $5,000 or more. These items had crossed state and U.S. boundaries after being stolen, unlawfully converted, or taken. Mona Faiz Montrage and the others involved were aware that these items were stolen, unlawfully converted, or taken, which is a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2315.

Additionally, the indictment mentions specific overt acts committed in furtherance of the conspiracy. One of these acts states that on or about September 15, 2016, Mona Faiz Montrage opened a business bank account called 4Reall Designs in the Bronx, New York, referred to as “Account-1.” Another overt act states that on or about November 1, 2018, Mona Faiz Montrage received two check deposits from a victim of a romance scam, identified as “Victim-2,” totaling at least approximately $195,000 into Account-1.

In simpler terms, Mona is charged with conspiring with others to receive and handle money and other items that were stolen, unlawfully converted, or taken. The indictment specifically mentions that she opened a bank account for her business and received substantial funds from a victim of a romance scam into that account.

Count Six: Receipt of Stolen Money

Mona Faiz Montrage is charged with receiving, possessing, concealing, and disposing of goods, wares, merchandise, securities, and money that had been stolen and crossed state and United States boundaries.

Mona Faiz Montrage is charged with the receipt of stolen money. The alleged incidents took place from around 2013 to 2019 in the Southern District of New York and other locations.

According to the indictment, Mona Faiz Montrage received, possessed, concealed, stored, bartered, sold, and disposed of various items such as goods, wares, merchandise, securities, and money. The value of these items was $5,000 or more. They had crossed state and U.S. boundaries after being stolen, unlawfully converted, or taken. Mona Faiz Montrage was aware that these items were stolen, unlawfully converted, or taken.

In particular, Mona Faiz Montrage is accused of receiving proceeds from fraud schemes. These proceeds were transferred from bank accounts and money transfer locations located outside of New York. They were sent to bank accounts in the Bronx, New York, and other places.

The charges are brought under Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2315 and 2. Section 2315 deals with the receipt, possession, concealment, storage, bartering, sale, or disposal of stolen goods, securities, or money. Section 2 establishes liability for aiding and abetting in the commission of an offense.

So, Mona is accused of knowingly receiving and dealing with stolen money and other items of value. These items were obtained through fraud schemes and were sent from outside New York to bank accounts in the Bronx and elsewhere.

Forfeiture Allegations

As a result of the wire fraud and stolen property offenses charged in Counts One, Two, Five, and Six, Mona Faiz Montrage is required to forfeit certain property to the United States. This forfeiture is based on the authority granted by Title 18, United States Code, Section 981(a)(1)(C), and Title 28, United States Code, Section 2461(c).

The property subject to forfeiture includes all types of assets, both real estate and personal belongings, that were obtained as a result of or are connected to the proceeds from the commission of the mentioned offenses. This can include a sum of money in U.S. currency that represents the amount of proceeds traceable to the commission of these offenses.

Furthermore, as a result of the money laundering offenses alleged in Counts Three and Four, Mona Faiz Montrage is also required to forfeit certain property to the United States. This forfeiture is based on the authority granted by Title 18, United States Code, Section 982(a)(1).

The property subject to forfeiture includes any real estate, personal belongings, or other assets involved in the money laundering offenses and any other property that can be traced back to those offenses. This can include a sum of money in U.S. currency representing the value of the property involved in these offenses.

In other words, if Mona Faiz Montrage is convicted of the wire fraud, stolen property, and money laundering offenses, she will have to give up any property, including money, that she obtained or used as a result of these crimes. This is a legal process known as forfeiture, where the government seizes assets derived from or connected to criminal activities.

If any of the property that is subject to forfeiture, as described in the previous paragraphs, cannot be located despite reasonable efforts, or if it has been transferred to someone else, deposited with a third party, placed outside the court's jurisdiction, significantly reduced in value, or mixed with other property that is difficult to separate, the United States intends to seek forfeiture of other property belonging to the defendant.

This provision allows the government to pursue the forfeiture of alternative assets that are of equivalent value to the property that is subject to forfeiture but cannot be seized for various reasons. The intent behind this provision is to ensure that the defendant does not escape the consequences of the criminal activities by hiding, transferring, or devaluing the assets subject to forfeiture.