LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A girl with Las Vegas ties allegedly drugged males she met on courting websites and stole their cash and private info, resulting in a number of of their deaths, federal officers introduced Friday.
Aurora Phelps, 43, faces almost a dozen federal prices linked to a number of incidents from 2019 till 2022, the FBI Las Vegas division and the U.S. Legal professional’s Workplace mentioned. Phelps has properties in each Las Vegas and Guadalajara, Mexico.
“We believe Aurora Phelps deliberately and methodically targeted older men to drug them and steal from them,” FBI Las Vegas Particular Agent In Cost Spencer Evans mentioned Friday.
Investigators suspect Phelps focused males of their 60s and 70s, generally drugging them after which accessing their financial institution and monetary accounts. Phelps additionally victimized girls, Evans mentioned.
“In romance scams, the scammer gains an unsuspecting individual’s affection and trust, then uses the illusion of a romantic or close relationship to manipulate and/or steal from the victim,” federal officers mentioned. “These schemes not only cause significant financial losses, but also deeply impact the lives of victims.”
“Once she incapacitated her victims, Phelps stole their cars, accessed their bank and brokerage accounts to withdraw cash, used their credit cards to make a variety of purchases, including luxury retail goods and gold and even attempted to access their Social Security and retirement accounts,” Evans mentioned.
A number of victims lived within the Las Vegas valley, federal officers mentioned. Mexican authorities arrested Phelps and she or he was awaiting extradition to the USA.
The indictment filed in opposition to Phelps in federal court docket in Las Vegas notes 4 victims who have been a part of the so-called “romance scam on steroids,” FBI Particular Agent In Cost Spencer Evans mentioned.
In a single case, Phelps allegedly tried to liquidate greater than $3 million in a sufferer’s inventory account, paperwork mentioned.
It was not instantly clear how lengthy Phelps lived in Las Vegas or when she may return to the U.S. to face prices.
“We believe that she likely encountered other individuals who would have key information and evidence for us or that potentially have a family member that was also victimized by her,” Evans mentioned.
The FBI requested anybody with info to go to a web site it launched for the investigation. Ideas can be submitted by calling 800-CALL-FBI.
