VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Author's note: The above video is on file from March 9, 2021.
A Ghanaian citizen was sentenced on Sept. 10 in the Eastern District of Virginia to 40 months in prison for wire fraud, which purposefully targeted a woman in Chesapeake as a part of his scheme.
“The defendant repeatedly and shamelessly defrauded a recently widowed victim through a variety of manipulative tactics, leaving her in financial ruins,” said Raj Parekh, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “As this case demonstrates, reporting these scams to law enforcement helps us uncover the fraud schemes and bring scammers, like this defendant, to justice.”
Richard Yaw Dorpe, 38, pretended to be a single, 57-year old man from Virginia Beach on the dating website "Our Time," which is designed for users over the age of 50.
He claimed that he was a jeweler who was traveling abroad for work, and he proceeded to begin an online relationship with the victim, who was 68.
From August of 2016 through January of 2017, Dorpe convinced the victim to send him over $300,000, as well as clothing, jewelry, a computer and a watch.
Soon after, the victim realized she was being scammed and contacted the FBI.
In January, Ghana approved the U.S. extradition request, and Dorpe was brought here by the FBI to be charged.
He pleaded guilty to wire fraud in May.
In August 2020, the Roanoke Star reported on a study that revealed an estimation that elders in Virginia lose over $3 billion a year through fraudulent schemes.