Hajia4Reall and her lawyers are'rejoicing' with a 12-month, one-day jail sentence in the romance scam case

Hajia4Reall has been sentenced to one year and one day in prison in the United States for her role in a romance scam, following a lengthy trial that began in 2022.

The case comprised a romantic fraud operation that robbed around $2 million from forty victims, the majority of them were elderly males.

Hajia4Reall's defense team expressed delight with the court's decision to sentence their client to one year in prison, which is a more merciful punishment than the prosecution's request of 37 to 46 months.

According to Inner City Press, the prosecution requested a 37-month sentence for the accused, but the judge opted to be lenient.

"I sentence Ms Montrage to one year and one day in prison, with the extra day to allow "good time," the court stated. The defense replied: "We propose she be allowed to fly back to Ghana as soon as she is released, with no ICE detention" .

The Fast Law Firm PLC posted on social media: "After a 1.5-hour sentencing, U.S. v. Mona Montrage, 22 cr 617 (JPO), concludes. Our client received a 12-month and one-day sentence, which was fewer than the government's request of 37 to 46 months in prison.

We are quite proud of the advocacy we conducted on our client's behalf and the outcome."

Background

Hajia4Real was detained in the United Kingdom on November 11, 2022, after taking part in the Ghana Music Awards. Following her arrest, she was extradited to the United States to face trial.

Mona Faiz Montrage, also known as Hajia4Reall/Mona4Reall, was extradited from the UK to the United States on accusations stemming from a $2 million romance fraud targeting older, unmarried Americans.

The 30-year-old artist made his initial appearance in Manhattan federal court on May 15, 2022. Details of the case revealed that Hajia4Reall had five international bank accounts from which she gathered monies from over forty victims using phony company companies in three banks in the Bronx, New York.

She pleaded guilty to conspiracy to receive stolen funds, one of seven accusations that included attempted wire fraud, money laundering, and other offenses.

The guilty plea entails a maximum of five years in jail. The court also allowed Hajia4Reall to forfeit properties worth $2,164,758.41 instead of paying monetary compensation for the stolen monies under the conspiracy allegation.

They also mentioned that Hajia4Reall would issue a statement on the subject.