Patrick Giblin Admits to Dating Scam Fraud Scheme

Patrick Giblin, 52, of Ventnor, New Jersey, is back behind bars — again — after admitting to a calculated scheme to defraud women through telephone dating services, a grift he’s run before and one that’s now landed him facing five years in federal prison. Giblin pleaded guilty in Camden federal court to one count of interstate travel with intent to launder money, reigniting a criminal pattern that dates back over a decade.

From January 2013 to December 16, 2014, Giblin placed ads on phone dating lines across the country, spinning elaborate lies to women he contacted. He claimed he was relocating to their area and seeking a serious romantic relationship — all fabrications. Once trust was built, he requested loans for travel or moving expenses, promising repayment he never intended to make. The cash, sent via Western Union and MoneyGram, often ended up on a payroll/debit card Giblin controlled — funds he then used to buy cell phone minutes to target more victims.

Giblin didn’t stop at deception. In October 2014, while on federal supervised release from a 2007 wire fraud conviction, he traveled from Atlantic County, New Jersey, to Albany County, New York — a violation of his release conditions. There, he continued the scam, laundering victim funds and expanding his reach. Authorities say he defrauded more than 10 women across multiple states, stealing between $15,000 and $40,000.

This isn’t Giblin’s first run-in with justice for this exact crime. In 2007, he was convicted on 10 counts of wire fraud tied to a nearly identical scheme. He violated supervised release terms in 2015 and was imprisoned again. He also served time in 2013 in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania for escaping a Philadelphia halfway house — a flight that coincided with the launch of this latest fraud spree. He resumed the scam after completing that sentence.

The charge Giblin pleaded to carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He is also liable for full restitution to his victims. As part of the plea agreement, federal prosecutors will urge the court to impose the maximum five-year sentence. Sentencing is scheduled for May 12, 2017, before U.S. District Judge Robert B. Kugler.

The investigation was led by FBI special agents under Special Agent in Charge Timothy Gallagher in Newark, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service, directed by U.S. Marshal Juan Mattos. The case was prosecuted by Deputy Attorney-in-Charge Matthew J. Skahill and Assistant U.S. Attorney Gabriel J. Vidoni of the Camden U.S. Attorney’s Office. Giblin was represented by Christopher O’Malley, Assistant Federal Public Defender.