Ghanaian socialite and influencer, Mona Faiz Montrage, widely known as Hajia4Reall, has reportedly been denied bail while petitioning for some freedom during her house arrest.According to the US Department of Justice, Hajia4Reall must have a job and valid documentation linking her to the United States in order to be eligible for bail.

0

Furthermore, the court has expressed concerns about the weight of evidence against Hajia4Reall and the potential flight risk she poses, as outlined in section 3142-G of the US Justice system.Hajia4Reall is alleged to be a member of a criminal conspiracy known as the Enterprise that specifically targeted older Americans through romance scams which were both financially and emotionally devastating for vulnerable victims.U.S.

1

Attorney's Office, Southern District of New York, she had been doing this from about 2013 through to 2019.Under false pretense, she is alleged to have induced victims to send money for payments to transport gold to the United States from overseas, resolve a fake FBI unemployment investigation and assist a fake United States army officer in receiving funds from Afghanistan.

2

She is said to have received approximately 82 wire transfers totaling approximately $89,000 to purportedly help with costs associated with her father’s farm in Ghana.In total, Hajia4Reall is believed to have controlled bank accounts that received over $2 million in fraudulent funds from the Enterprise.

3

She is currently facing six charges, one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one count of wire fraud, one count of money laundering conspiracy, and one count of money laundering, each of which carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

4

She is also charged with one count of receipt of stolen money, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, and one count of conspiracy to receive stolen money, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. In total, she could see a possible 95-year jail term.Hajia4Reall was arrested in the United Kingdom on November 10, 2022, and was extradited from the United Kingdom on May 12, 2023.

5

She has been extradited from the United Kingdom to the United States, where U.S. District Judge Paul A. Crotty will be handling the case.The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mitzi Steiner and Kevin Mead are in charge of the prosecution.

6