Florida Woman Pleads Guilty to Laundering Millions in Romance Scams
A Florida woman pleaded guilty today to conspiring to launder millions of dollars from American fraud victims to a co-conspirator abroad.
Cristine Petitfrere, 30, of Miramar, used bank accounts to receive proceeds from romance scams. After receiving money from victims of the scams, Petitfrere kept a portion as a fee and funneled the remainder to her co-conspirator overseas. Petitfrere laundered over $2.7 million and earned hundreds of thousands of dollars in fees.
Romance scams involve fraudsters creating fake online personas to gain the trust and affection of victims, ultimately leading to financial exploitation. These schemes not only cause significant financial losses, but also deeply impact the lives of victims, many of whom are elderly. Americans lost $1.14 billion to romance scams in 2023, according to Federal Trade Commission data.
“Romance scams cause not only significant losses but also profound emotional harm to countless individuals,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “This prosecution underscores the department’s efforts to dismantle the criminal networks that engage in these sophisticated financial schemes to exploit vulnerable Americans.”
Petitfrere is scheduled to be sentenced in the Southern District of Florida on Dec. 11. She faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI Miami Field Office investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Matthew Robinson and Lauren M. Elfner of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch are prosecuting the case.
Defendant: Cristine Petitfrere
Criminal Charges: Conspiring to launder millions of dollars from American fraud victims
City and State: Miramar, Florida
Date: Not specified
Sentence: Scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 11; faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison
Dollar Amounts: $2.7 million laundered
Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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