It was the beginning of a four-year run of lies to defraud the man of his life savings, forcing him to give up his apartment, prosecutors say. Prosecutors say Stergo pressured the Holocaust survivor to pay her more than $2.8 million — money that she spent on “a life of fancy trips, Rolex watches and luxury watches.”
Stergo was arrested in the years-long “romance scam,” the Justice Department announced Wednesday. The 36-year-old from Champions Gate, Fla., is charged with one count of wire fraud, according to the U.S. attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said in a statement that Stergo “forged documents and impersonated a bank employee” to gain a life of luxury paid for by the Holocaust survivor’s savings account.
“Stergo deceived an 87-year-old Holocaust survivor, maliciously draining his life savings so she could become a millionaire through fraud,” Williams said.
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