Popular Ghanaian socialite, Mona Faiz Montrage, aka Hajia 4Real has told the US court that she is not guilty of the charges levelled against her.
The 30-year-old mother of one was extradited to the US where she has been charged with a romance scam to the tune of $2 million which she had perpetrated over a number of years.
She appeared before a judge on Monday, but she remains in detention up until the fulfilment of all bail requirements.
She was accused of conspiracy to commit, committing wire fraud, and money laundering, each of which carries a possible 20-year jail sentence, according to the prosecution.
he was also charged with conspiracy to receive stolen property, which carries a possible punishment of five years in prison, and receipt of stolen property, which carries a maximum sentence of ten years in prison.
Between 2013 and 2019, Montrage, also known as Hajia 4Reall, and her alleged criminal business are suspected of participating in fraud, including romance fraud.
They allegedly preyed on businesses, senior Americans, women, and males.
Prosecutors claimed that they used a series of emails, texts, and social media posts to dupe their victims into thinking they were in a romantic connection before taking advantage of them.
In one incident, she is accused of giving the victim a bogus traditional marriage certificate before extorting roughly $89,000 through 82 wire transactions.
Having amassed more than four million Instagram followers, Montrage is a well-known musician in Ghana. In Ghana, there is a sense of astonishment and disappointment.
However, according to US prosecutors, she is innocent until and unless she is proven guilty.
She will return to court on June 28.
Check out the indictment papers on Hajia 4Real below…
