Achi news desk-
A former Montreal resident has been sentenced to 10 years in a United States federal prison for a decades-long scam that manipulated more than a million Americans into sending money to fake accounts.
The US Department of Justice says Patrice Runner, 57, stole more than $175 million from 1.3 million people in the US between 1994 and 2014.
A federal court in New York convicted Renner, a Canadian and French citizen, of 14 charges, including mail fraud and wire fraud, in June 2023.
Officials say Renner used a Montreal company to send Americans letters claiming to be psychics who promised wealth and happiness in exchange for payment.
The US authorities claim that no psychics were involved in the operation and that those who paid would receive additional letters offering to sell them services and additional items with supposed magical powers.
Chris Nielsen, the inspector in charge of the US Postal Service’s Philadelphia division, says Scherner preyed on elderly and vulnerable Americans and that the sentence is an “appropriate punishment.”
— This report by The Canadian Press was first published on April 17, 2024.
