FL Fortune-Telling Fraud Scheme Lands Two In Prison: DOJ

MIAMI, FL — A family curse, fortune telling and swindling a victim out of more than $3 million earned prison time for two people in South Florida.

Michael Paul Guzman, 42, was sentenced to 38 months in prison, and Samantha Stevens, 51, was sentenced to 30 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Darrin P. Gayles for orchestrating a fortune-telling fraud scheme and money laundering, according to a U.S. Department of Justice news release.

Stevens portrayed herself as a psychic/fortune teller in 2012 when she met a victim in Miami. She gained the victim’s trust and convinced her that a curse had been placed on her and her family, the DOJ said.

Stevens claimed she needed to perform rituals on large sums of money in order to lift the curse. Failure to do so — the victim was led to believe — would result in harm to her and her family, according to the agency.

The relationship between Stevens and the victim lasted several years. During this time, the victim was persuaded to give up more than $3 million, the DOJ said.

Stevens and Guzman spent the money on vehicles, property and casino gambling.

The scheme ended in 2016 when Stevens cut off communication with the victim after she no longer could pay for the rituals. Once the relationship ended, the victim contacted federal law enforcement, according to the DOJ.

In addition to the prison sentence, the defendants must pay $3.198 million in restitution to the victim.