Convicted Felon Claiming To Be Ghanaian Prince On Trial In United States For $800,000 Fraud
- A man claiming to have been adopted by a Ghanaian royal family is facing trial in the US for allegedly running a fraudulent scheme
- Daryl Atippoe is alleged to have defrauded many people with a phoney investment scheme to the tune of $800,000
- During the testimony, one of his victims said Daryl managed to get her to part away with a total of $553,500
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Daryl Attipoe, a man resident in the United States and claiming to be the adopted son of a royal Ghanaian family, is in the grips of the law over an $800,000 fraudulent scheme.
The 44-year-old man has been dragged to the US District Court, Dayton, Ohio, for allegedly scamming many people out of their cash exceeding $800,000.
According to a report by US-based financial and economic news organisation, Zero Hedge, Daryl set up a phoney investment scheme and siphoned people's cash for his personal use.
Source: UGC
The report sighted by YEN.com.gh explained that state investigators found that he goes by many names, including “Prince Daryl Attipoe”, “Prophet Daryl Attipoe”, and “Daryl Robert Harrison”.
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A convicted felon, investigators said although he lived a lavish lifestyle, he had no legitimate source of income. He has been described by prosecutors as a classic “conman” who runs a bizarre investment scheme.
Daryl’s Ghana Connection
US state prosecutors revealed in court that Daryl and his stepfather, Robert S. Harrison Jnr, used the funds to buy flight tickets, luxury cars, hotel accommodations, trips to Africa, rental cars, and monthly rent payments.
Daryl is said to be living in a 5,100-square-foot house in Parker, Colorado with his wife and six kids. He also drives a red Dodge Viper sports car and a sleek black Mercedes-Benz.
His lawyer, Christopher Deal, told the court that his client’s investment schemes are not fraudulent but legitimate, blaming a series of “unforeseen setbacks,” such as the coronavirus pandemic, for his client’s inability to deliver on his investment promises.
Daryl’s lawyer also told the court that his client is truly a “prince” because a royal Ghanaian family befriended and then “adopted” him.
How Daryl Allegedly Scammed Unsuspecting Investors
US prosecutors told jurors that Daryl’s alleged fraudulent activities started in 2014 when his stepdad registered two companies in Ohio, a non-profit organisation called Power House of Prayer Ministries and a for-profit firm called New Max Groups.
Then in 2015, Daryl began soliciting investments for New Max Groups.
During her testimony, one of Daryl’s alleged victims, 58-year-old Peggy Braun, told the jurors that she put all her life’s savings in Daryl’s scheme.
She told the court that Daryl kept pushing her to invest, promising every time that he’ll make her “lots of money.”
Braun said she wanted to increase her contributions to children’s college funds and charities, so she bought into Daryl’s proposals. She said although she was unsure about the investment scheme, Daryl always had a way to counter all of her concerns.
According to Braun’s testimony, she initially offered to invest $50,000, an amount that made Harrison scoff because he wanted $400,000 from her.
After persuading Braun to sign an agreement committing to that amount, Harrison issued a “certificate of ownership,” listing Braun’s name, dated November 7, 2017, and “K4 Roland Shaft,” purportedly referring to a chrome mine location.
Another document sets the value of the mine at $650 million. That investment was supposed to start generating $25,000 a month for Braun; Harrison promised she would be repaid her $400,000 within two years, she said.
After she and Harrison became acquainted, they would meet at a Chinese restaurant near her grocery store. At the restaurant, Daryl would have Braun sign various agreements. They would discuss business deals, including the chrome mine, a diamond mine, and real estate investments. Daryl also repeatedly called and texted Braun to persuade her to contribute more money.
At one point in 2019, Harrison got Braun to sign a contract for $100,000 for a diamond mine, which was supposed to generate $10,000 a month for her. Braun said she crossed out wording that would have given Harrison the power to manage her remaining stocks and assets on that paper.
Even though her suspicions were growing as time passed and cash wasn’t flowing her way, Braun ended up giving Harrison a total of $553,500.
Daryl's trial started on September 6, 2022, for 16 federal charges. The trial continues on December 6, 2022, according to the report by Zero Hedge.
Ghanaian Convicted In The US For Defrauding People In Multiple States
YEN.com.gh reported in a separate story that a Federal Court in the United States has convicted a Ghanaian identified as Abdul Inusah for his role in a crime syndicate based in Huntington that defrauded people in multiple states.
Inusah, 31 years, and his co-conspirators use false online identities to rip people off, according to a press statement released by the US Department of Justice.
The trial lasted for three days, after which a federal jury convicted Inusah. He is scheduled to be sentenced on November 21, 2022, and faces a maximum penalty of 50 years in prison.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
