Ghanaian influencer pleads not guilty to US romance scam

 She appeared before a judge on Monday, but she remains in detention up until the fulfillment of all bail requirements.

She was accused of conspiracy to commit, committing wire fraud, and money laundering, each of which carries a possible 20-year jail sentence, according to the prosecution.

She was also charged with conspiracy to receive stolen property, which carries a possible punishment of five years in prison, and receipt of stolen property, which carries a maximum sentence of ten years in prison.

Between 2013 and 2019, Montrage, also known as Hajia4Reall, and her alleged criminal business are suspected of participating in fraud, including romance frauds.

They allegedly preyed on businesses, senior Americans, women, and males.

Prosecutors claimed that they used a series of emails, texts, and social media posts to dupe their victims into thinking they were in a romantic connection before taking advantage of them.

In one incident, she is accused of giving the victim a bogus traditional marriage certificate before extorting roughly $89,000 through 82 wire transactions.

She is also accused by the prosecution of defrauding people while using false pretenses.

Having amassed more than four million Instagram followers, Montrage is a well-known musician in Ghana. In Ghana, there is a sense of astonishment and disappointment.

However, according to US prosecutors, she is innocent until and unless she is proven guilty.

She will return to court on June 28.