Hajia4Real's lawyers speak, say she ended romance scams in 2019

Gideon Nicholas Day

February 22, 2024 6:28 AM

The legal team representing Ghanaian socialite Mona Faiz Montrage, widely known as Hajia4Real, has responded after news broke about her guilty plea in connection to a series of romance scams.

Hajia 4Real

The plea, made in the Southern District of New York, marks a significant development in a case that has garnered widespread attention.

In response to the guilty plea, Hajia4Real's legal team issued a statement, saying, "In May 2023, Ms. Montrage voluntarily boarded the flight from Heathrow to JFK to face the criminal case in the Southern District of New York. At that time, she took the first step to closing that chapter of her life."

The team acknowledged her involvement in laundering funds from romance scams, which took place until 2019.

"Today, she took responsibility for her bank accounts being used to receive funds from illicit conduct that ended in 2019. Ms. Montrage’s plea does not define her as a person and is not reflective of the individual she is today. Ms. Montrage is thankful for the support of her fans, family, and legal team throughout this process."

Hajia4Reall Hajia4Reall Pulse Ghana

The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York announced on Wednesday that Mona Faiz Montrage had pleaded guilty to knowingly receiving money stolen through romance scams, targeting older Americans. The prosecution highlighted the emotional and financial impact on victims, emphasizing the betrayal of trust and the callous theft of their funds.

"This Office and our law enforcement partners are relentless in bringing fraudsters who target Americans to justice, no matter where they are," stated the U.S. Attorney, underlining the commitment to pursuing justice in such cases.

As part of the plea agreement, Hajia4Real has agreed to pay a forfeiture of $2,164,758.41 and make restitution in the same amount. This sum, totaling $4,329,516.82, includes compensation for the victims and forfeiture of the proceeds of her crime. The sentencing is scheduled to take place before U.S. District Judge Paul A. Crotty.

Ms. Montrage is represented by Elena Fast, Esq., and Michael Perkins, Esq., of The Fast Law Firm, P.C.,

Gideon Nicholas Day