Convicted scammer who victims say claimed to be a psychic, Irish heiress faces extradition to UK

A girl accused by rip-off victims of crisscrossing the U.S. claiming to be an Irish heiress is anticipated in courtroom Wednesday for a listening to that would extradite her to the UK.

Marianne Smyth, a 54-year-old American, can be in federal courtroom in Maine for the listening to that pertains to allegations she stole greater than $170,000 from no less than 5 victims from 2008 to 2010 in Northern Ireland. United Kingdom officers mentioned Smyth stole cash that she had promised to speculate and organized to promote a sufferer a house however took the cash.

A courtroom issued arrest warrants for her in 2021, in line with authorized paperwork. In February, she was positioned and arrested in Maine. She is being held in Piscataquis County Jail in Dover-Foxcroft.

In a courtroom submitting, Smyth’s lawyer, Kaylee Folster, argued she will not be responsible of the fees and requested a listening to on the allegations. Neither Folster nor Smyth would remark in regards to the case.

Smyth’s case is analogous to Anna Sorokin, a grifter convicted in New York of paying for a lavish life-style by impersonating a rich German heiress.

Amongst these fleeced was Johnathan Walton, who began a podcast in 2021 referred to as “Queen of the Con” to warn others about Smyth. She was discovered responsible of stealing tens of thousand of {dollars} from Walton and spent about two years in jail.

Smyth mentioned she wanted the cash after her checking account was frozen and for bail after she was jailed, he mentioned. Walton assumed he could be repaid, since Smyth advised him she was due an inheritance of $7 million from her rich household in Eire.

“She performs off of individuals’s weaknesses after which lots of people are too embarrassed to return ahead and admit that they misplaced this cash,” Los Angeles County Deputy District Lawyer Jeffrey Megee, who prosecuted the case that despatched Smyth to jail, mentioned.

Smyth and Walton grew shut over a number of years in Los Angeles, when she purchased him costly dinners and luxurious holidays, he mentioned. However her story started to unravel when Walton realized she was jailed for stealing $200,000 from a luxurious journey company the place she labored.

“She has no disgrace. And he or she has no conscience,” the 49-year-old actuality tv producer, creator and public speaker mentioned. “She revels in casting numerous victims as unwitting actors in her elaborate schemes to defraud.”

The podcast has drawn suggestions from dozens of victims from California to New York, Walton mentioned. Some have accused her of beginning a pretend charity for Ukraine, whereas others say she has described herself as an emissary for Devil, a witch, a hockey coach, a most cancers affected person and greatest mates with Jennifer Aniston. She usually modified her identify and look, her victims say.

Heather Sladinski, a fancy dress designer in Los Angeles, mentioned Smyth scammed her out of $20,000 for psychic readings, pretend life coach classes and cult-like retreats that included rituals, respiratory workouts and yoga. Smyth was humorous, sensible and had credentials and different paperwork to again up her claims, Sladinski mentioned.

The 50-year-old from Los Angeles reduce off contact with Smyth after she wished to do a weird ritual involving a rooster to win again her ex-boyfriend, who had a restraining order towards her, Sladinski mentioned. Smyth then began making threatening telephone calls and Sladinski “was so scared” that she moved houses, Sladinski mentioned. She has filed a police report towards Smyth and testified at Walton’s trial.