Ohio man named Daryl Robert Harrison who claimed he was a Ghanaian Prince and swindled 14 people of more than $800K has been convicted and facing 20 years behind bars. According to reports, he pretended to be Prince Daryl R. Attipoe and Prophet Daryl R. Attipoe.
According to Complex;
A press release from the Justice Department explains Daryl Robert Harrison, 44, pretended to be Prince Daryl R. Attipoe and Prophet Daryl R. Attipoe. He sought investors for alleged African mining and trucking companies he was supposedly associated with. In the scheme, which lasted from January 2014 until September 2020, Harrison claimed to have direct connections with these businesses, boasting that an investment could result in a 28 to 33 percent return.
According to the DOJ release, Harrison and his stepfather claimed to be ministers from the Power House of Prayer Ministries, which “sponsored religious services in various church facilities and private residences” in Ohio and Colorado. A majority of the victims were from this congregation.
Prosecutors said the two went on to put that money toward luxury cars and airplane tickets, and to rent a house in Colorado. CNN notes the 2020 indictment alleges Harrison and his stepfather withdrew the cash and then “failed to provide investors with interest payments, routinely terminated all communications with investors, ignored individual investor inquiries, and ignored demands from investors seeking the return of investment monies.”
Harrison was convicted of mail and wire fraud, conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, and witness tampering. He currently awaits his sentencing where he faces up to 20 years in prison. His stepfather denies any involvement in the scam, and has yet to begin his trial.
You will be surprised at how many people get fall for these Nigerian and in this case Ghana scams. If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is too good to be true, so never give your account information to anyone.
Be safe out there.
Flip to the next page to Daryl Robert Harrison’s mugshot and more on the case.