A Florida woman named Peaches Stergo who met a Holocaust survivor online has been sentenced to more than four years in jail by a New York judge for misleading him and stealing his life savings.
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She had been charged with one count of wire fraud six months prior to the sentencing for deceiving the 87-year-old victim and robbing him of $2.8 million.
Who is Peaches Stergo?
Peaches Stergo is 36 years old. According to the prosecution, Stergo used the illegally obtained money to support a wealthy lifestyle. According to the press release, she used the money for a variety of extravagances, including purchasing a home in a Florida gated community, indulging in vacations at luxurious hotels like the Ritz Carlton, and blowing tens of thousands of dollars on designer goods.
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Prosecutors claim that Stergo and the victim met on the dating service about seven years ago. Stergo tricked the victim into making deposits into her account over the course of the following four and a half years by inventing a number of false justifications, such as saying the money was required to pay fictitious legal fees in order to release a made-up injury payout.
US Attorney Damian Williams, the prosecutor of the case, emphasized in the release, “(Stergo) used the millions of dollars in fraudulent proceeds to lead a life of opulence at the expense of the victim. However, she did not escape the consequences.”
US District Judge Edgardo Ramos, who presided over the sentencing of Stergo, acknowledged her actions as “unspeakably cruel” and driven by “greed,” according to the release.
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Stergo has been sentenced to serve time in prison, pay $2,830,775 in restitution, and forfeit the same amount. In addition, as part of the court’s ruling, she will forfeit her Florida property as well as more than 100 wealthy goods that she bought with the wrongfully obtained money.