A California resident, Donald Franklin Huegel, has been convicted and sentenced for his part in a romance scam that defrauded two elderly Arizonans. Huegel participated in the criminal enterprise for two years by funneling money from victims to his co-conspirators in Africa.
The victims were each contacted by someone posing as a romantic interest online, who fostered a relationship and then began to ask the victim to send money to different accounts.
The first victim responded to a fake online profile and began a romantic dialog with someone she believed was named “Chad Callahan.” “Chad” asked her for money to assist him personally, but when she resisted providing more money, she was contacted by other members of the romance scam who told her that her identity had been placed on the Dark Web.
The victim sent thousands of dollars to get her identity allegedly cleared from the Dark Web. In total, the victim sent over $90,000 to four different accounts. Of that total, $26,000 was sent to Huegel for him to pass on to other members of the criminal enterprise. During the investigation, after the victim’s ability to transfer funds electronically had been stopped, she mailed Huegel an additional money order for $24,000.
The romance scammers also preyed upon a second elderly Arizona victim who sent over $367,000 to Huegel. She was also taken in by a fake profile for “Michael Williams” on Match.com.
The scams Huegel participated in stole nearly $400,000 from elderly Arizona victims. Huegel was convicted by a jury of fraudulent schemes and artifices, illegally conducting an enterprise, money laundering, and theft.
On March 26, 2024, Pima County Superior Court Judge Richard Gordon sentenced Huegel to 4 years in prison for his conduct, followed by three years on probation. A hearing will be set to determine restitution for the victims.
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