A Florida man was sentenced on September 2 to nine years in federal prison after he pled guilty to scamming over 30 women out of more than $1.3 million.
Brian Brainard Wedgeworth, the Black “Casanova Scammer,” was charged with 25 counts, including wire and mail fraud, aggravated identity theft and money laundering. Along with the prison time, Brian will have three years of supervised release after his nine-year jail stint. The “Casanova Scammer” has been ordered to pay back almost the entire amount he stole in restitution.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Northern District of Florida, the case and sentencing were headed by U.S Postal Service and the IRS. They are continuing to search for more victims affected by Brian. As previously reported, Brian, 47, from Tallahassee, Florida, used up to ten fake identities to lure women to his schemes. Brian lied and said he was a physician and lured women into sending him money and gifts for his ‘practice’ after posing on dating sites as someone with a Ph.D. He dressed in scrubs and doctors’ coats to keep up his fake image.
Juan A. Vargas, the Acting Inspector In Charge of the Postal Inspection Service, said in a statement, “Rooting out fraudulent schemes furthered by the U.S. Mail, such as romance scams, remains a top priority for the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Our agency will continue to investigate those that target innocent individuals and abuse their trust for financial gain.”
The U.S. Attorney presiding over the case told the public that he hoped the sentencing should have been a deterrent for any others trying to pull similar fraud schemes on women. “Our citizens should not be preyed upon by fraudsters who steal through overtures of affection,” said U.S. Attorney Coody. “With the assistance of our dedicated law enforcement partners, we are committed to investigating and vigorously prosecuting those who engage in all acts of fraud. Moreover, today’s sentence should serve as a significant deterrent to criminals of like mind.”
