Psychic steals over $25 million form clients
JonnyPistachio
Posts: 10,217
Only in Florida.
Romance novelist Deveraux testifies in $25 million fraud trial against alleged psychic
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/news/ ... d-t/nZr77/
***
WEST PALM BEACH — Unlike the characters she created in her best-selling romance novels, author Jude Deveraux has been unlucky in love and in life.
Her husband, whom she divorced in 1991, was abusive. Her beloved child, whom she conceived through in vitro fertilization at age 50 after suffering eight miscarriages, died in an ATV accident when he was just 8.
And, while she reportedly earned $50 million from the books that made her a household name among lovelorn readers and women yearning for escape, she spent most of the past 20 years broke.
The tragedies — her poor choice in men and the death of her son — made her easy prey for psychic Rose Marks, the 66-year-old author of at least 36 New York Times best-sellers told a federal jury Tuesday.
“I was too afraid,” she explained when asked why she continued to send millions to Marks. “I was afraid of my ex-husband. I was afraid for my son’s life.”
Deveraux is the government’s star witness in the trial of the 62-year-old Fort Lauderdale psychic, who is accused of bilking more than $20 million from dozens of people by assuring them her connections with the spirit world could make their lives right.
Described by prosecutors as the matriarch of the family’s lucrative and exploitative business, Marks faces a dozen charges, including mail fraud, wire fraud and money-laundering. If convicted, she could be sent to prison for more than 20 years.
Like others who have testified since the estimated two-monthlong trial began Aug. 28, Deveraux said Marks, whom she knew as Joyce Michael, hounded her for money. Bad things would happen if she didn’t pay up, she said.
Initially, Deveraux testified, Marks lured her by saying the money would be used to protect her from her violent ex-husband. Later, when she was desperately trying to get pregnant, Marks said the money would make it happen. After her son was killed in 2005, Marks convinced her she could engineer a spirit swap so Deveraux and her child could be together again.
Looking back, Deveraux acknowledged, some of Marks’ claims were comical.
Marks told her that then-Secretary of State Colin Powell was her “soul mate” and that they would marry. For more than five years, as Powell was jetting around the world dealing with the Iraq War and other global crises, Deveraux exchanged lengthy letters with someone she believed was Powell — never mind that she sent the letters to an Arizona post office box.
She also exchanged emails with a man Marks told her was actor Brad Pitt. Marks told her Pitt wanted to be with her and was willing to leave his wife, actress Angelina Jolie, to make it possible, Deveraux testified.
“When I look back on it now, it was outrageous,” she said. “I was out of my mind.”
Deveraux said she didn’t realize how ridiculous the claims were until she was contacted by Fort Lauderdale detectives. “It was like someone hit me with a hammer,” she said. “I realized it was all a scam.”
Still, she testified, it took awhile for her to realize just how gullible she had been. “It took me a while to get it through my head that she didn’t know Brad Pitt or Prince Charles or Colin Powell,” she testified.
Deveraux is to return to the witness stand this morning as prosecutors continue to play recordings of conversations she had with Marks. In those played Tuesday, Deveraux demands the return of the roughly $17 million she gave Marks.
She then will face less friendly questioning from attorney Fred Schwartz, who represents Marks. Other members of Marks’ family — her two sons and their wives, her daughter and son-in-law, granddaughter and sister — have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud. Awaiting sentencing, most have attended each day of the trial.
Romance novelist Deveraux testifies in $25 million fraud trial against alleged psychic
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/news/ ... d-t/nZr77/
***
WEST PALM BEACH — Unlike the characters she created in her best-selling romance novels, author Jude Deveraux has been unlucky in love and in life.
Her husband, whom she divorced in 1991, was abusive. Her beloved child, whom she conceived through in vitro fertilization at age 50 after suffering eight miscarriages, died in an ATV accident when he was just 8.
And, while she reportedly earned $50 million from the books that made her a household name among lovelorn readers and women yearning for escape, she spent most of the past 20 years broke.
The tragedies — her poor choice in men and the death of her son — made her easy prey for psychic Rose Marks, the 66-year-old author of at least 36 New York Times best-sellers told a federal jury Tuesday.
“I was too afraid,” she explained when asked why she continued to send millions to Marks. “I was afraid of my ex-husband. I was afraid for my son’s life.”
Deveraux is the government’s star witness in the trial of the 62-year-old Fort Lauderdale psychic, who is accused of bilking more than $20 million from dozens of people by assuring them her connections with the spirit world could make their lives right.
Described by prosecutors as the matriarch of the family’s lucrative and exploitative business, Marks faces a dozen charges, including mail fraud, wire fraud and money-laundering. If convicted, she could be sent to prison for more than 20 years.
Like others who have testified since the estimated two-monthlong trial began Aug. 28, Deveraux said Marks, whom she knew as Joyce Michael, hounded her for money. Bad things would happen if she didn’t pay up, she said.
Initially, Deveraux testified, Marks lured her by saying the money would be used to protect her from her violent ex-husband. Later, when she was desperately trying to get pregnant, Marks said the money would make it happen. After her son was killed in 2005, Marks convinced her she could engineer a spirit swap so Deveraux and her child could be together again.
Looking back, Deveraux acknowledged, some of Marks’ claims were comical.
Marks told her that then-Secretary of State Colin Powell was her “soul mate” and that they would marry. For more than five years, as Powell was jetting around the world dealing with the Iraq War and other global crises, Deveraux exchanged lengthy letters with someone she believed was Powell — never mind that she sent the letters to an Arizona post office box.
She also exchanged emails with a man Marks told her was actor Brad Pitt. Marks told her Pitt wanted to be with her and was willing to leave his wife, actress Angelina Jolie, to make it possible, Deveraux testified.
“When I look back on it now, it was outrageous,” she said. “I was out of my mind.”
Deveraux said she didn’t realize how ridiculous the claims were until she was contacted by Fort Lauderdale detectives. “It was like someone hit me with a hammer,” she said. “I realized it was all a scam.”
Still, she testified, it took awhile for her to realize just how gullible she had been. “It took me a while to get it through my head that she didn’t know Brad Pitt or Prince Charles or Colin Powell,” she testified.
Deveraux is to return to the witness stand this morning as prosecutors continue to play recordings of conversations she had with Marks. In those played Tuesday, Deveraux demands the return of the roughly $17 million she gave Marks.
She then will face less friendly questioning from attorney Fred Schwartz, who represents Marks. Other members of Marks’ family — her two sons and their wives, her daughter and son-in-law, granddaughter and sister — have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud. Awaiting sentencing, most have attended each day of the trial.
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Comments
Peace
*MUSIC IS the expression of EMOTION.....and that POLITICS IS merely the DECOY of PERCEPTION*
.....song_Music & Politics....Michael Franti
*The scientists of today think deeply instead of clearly. One must be sane to think clearly, but one can think deeply and be quite INSANE*....Nikola Tesla(a man who shaped our world of electricity with his futuristic inventions)
nobody saw this coming...
Cheers.
Very sad to take advantage of someone like that. She doesnt sound too bright.
(lots o rain today! Relax, mow later! :P )
Its amazing really. I'm baffled.
Hard to feel sorry for her although hate to see things like this happen.
Way too many people scheme & take advantage throughout life instead of thinking of ways to HELP others. We are in a WHAT'S IN IT FOR ME world :problem: .
What You Giving
I suggest you step out on your Porch.
Run away my son. See it all. Oh, See the World!
Amazing that smart people can be so stupid to give money to these people.