Ze’Shawn Stanley Campbell, Scamming Romantic Partners, California 2022

LOS ANGELES – A 35-year-old man from Fontana, California, has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for defrauding eight women and nine businesses, the Justice Department announced today.

Ze’Shawn Stanley Campbell, who was living in Fontana at the time of his sentencing, was found guilty of one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering. He pleaded guilty in October 2022 to the charges.

According to prosecutors, Campbell convinced his victims that he was reliable by befriending them and starting romantic relationships with them. However, he lied to them about his creditworthiness, telling them that he had millions of dollars and operated successful businesses, including McDonald’s franchises, a security company, and a chain of gyms in Texas.

Campbell also lied about his military service, telling his victims that he had served as a Navy SEAL in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. He used these lies to induce his victims to provide him with money and property, which he then used to pay personal expenses and buy luxury items for himself.

One victim lost $61,452, which Campbell deposited into a Wells Fargo bank account he controlled. He promised the victim that the money would be used for an investment in Bitcoin on the victim’s behalf. Instead, Campbell spent the money on himself, including by making payments on a BMW and a Mercedes-Benz that he had leased in a different victim’s name.

In total, Campbell caused 17 different victims, including eight individuals and nine companies, to suffer significant financial losses. Judge Mark C. Scarsi found that the losses caused by Campbell’s criminal conduct exceeded $550,000.

Campbell will serve 120 months in federal prison for his crimes. His sentencing was held on October 24, 2022, in United States District Court.

The FBI investigated this matter, and Assistant United States Attorney Ranee A. Katzenstein, Chief of the Major Frauds Section, prosecuted the case.

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