A pair of supernatural swindlers is accused of duping their victims into forking over their private items, together with high-end merchandise, and even blackmailing some into following their directions all underneath the guise of combating “black magic,” investigators mentioned.
Gina Marks, 52, and Steve Nicklas, 40, each from the Philadelphia metro space, are accused of teaming as much as reap the benefits of susceptible folks and pilfering greater than $600,000 from 2022 to 2024, in accordance with a press launch from the Montgomery County District Lawyer’s Workplace.
“These defendants, via their con scheme, preyed on individuals who have been on the lookout for assist, steering and hope, exploiting them for monetary achieve. They’re now going to be held accountable for his or her actions,” District Lawyer Kevin Steele mentioned.
Their victims’ mystical misadventures started in 2022 when one known as the Jenkintown Psychic Visions for a psychic studying over the cellphone. The suspects have been fast to conclude that the sufferer was trapped by a “highly effective curse stopping her from discovering love and happiness,” the discharge mentioned.
The suspects satisfied the frantic sufferer that if she didn’t have the curse eliminated, which they may do, then it could “destroy her marriage, enterprise and household,” in accordance with the discharge.
Over the subsequent yr, the sufferer continued to pay for his or her companies and handed over wads of valuables, together with jewellery, money, clothes, and live performance tickets, in order that they may “cleanse” the curse.
The suspects instructed the lady that they wanted her valuables “to finish the ritual” that will carry her curse, however the belongings have been by no means returned, in accordance with the discharge.
The sufferer ultimately stopped seeing the pair after a yr of counseling. By then, the psychics had taken roughly $595,959 from her, the discharge mentioned.
Across the identical time, one other shopper was rising cautious as Marks saved asking her to share “more and more private” photographs and pictures underneath the guise of finishing “rituals that will assist her,” in accordance with the discharge.
Between June 2023 and February 2024, Marks turned up the warmth and began threatening “reputational harm and private repercussions” if the sufferer didn’t fork over her Chanel purse and more cash, in accordance with the discharge.
Marks allegedly drained $18,000 from the second sufferer, prosecutors mentioned.
The duo was arrested Tuesday for a laundry record of felonies, together with involvement with corrupt organizations, dealing within the proceeds of illegal actions, theft by illegal taking, theft by deception and receiving stolen property, and fortunetelling, in accordance with the discharge.
The fortune-tellers have been arraigned on Tuesday, the discharge mentioned. Each have been launched after posting bail and are anticipated to seem in courtroom on Oct. 20 for a preliminary listening to.
It isn’t Marks’ first rodeo, although.
The serial scammer was sentenced to 6 years behind bars in 2018 for the same scheme the place she bilked a lovesick lady out of greater than $80,000. Marks repeatedly insisted she wanted bigger sums of cash so as to solid a love spell on the sufferer’s boyfriend, who had just lately gotten married.
Marks tried to flee the nation, however was captured at Miami Worldwide Airport, NBC Washington reported.
On the time, she insisted she was a bona fide psychic who offered reliable companies
“Persons are racist from gypsies. They’re racist on my tradition. We do have energy. We’re not allowed to speak about it,” Marks mentioned.
