American woman jailed for role in $2.7m romance scam

By John Ogunsemore

A federal district court judge in Florida, United States has sentenced Cristine Petitfrere, 30, to 30 months in prison for her role in a money laundering conspiracy connected to romance scams that defrauded American victims.

Petitfrere of Miramar, Florida, was sentenced on Tuesday, January 7, after admitting to personally laundering millions of dollars as part of her participation in the conspiracy.

She admitted helping to funnel large sums of money from victims of romance scams into the hands of her overseas co-conspirators, retaining a portion as payment for her services and transferring the rest.

Romance scams target unsuspecting individuals, many of whom are seeking companionship online, and involve fraudsters who create fake personas to build relationships with victims.

The fraudsters then convince victims to send money, often under false pretences such as emergency situations or investments. These schemes not only cause significant financial losses, but also deeply impact the lives of victims.

Petitfrere pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering in the Southern District of Florida in September 2024.

According to her plea agreement, Petitfrere personally laundered over $2.7 million of criminal proceeds.

As part of her sentence, she was ordered to forfeit $203,815.59 in proceeds that she personally received from the offence.

Head of the US Justice Department’s Civil Division, Brian M. Boynton said, “Romance scams are a growing threat to Americans, particularly to the elderly and vulnerable.

“We will continue to vigorously pursue those who help facilitate these criminal enterprises, whether they work on the frontlines of deception or behind the scenes.”