NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — A man from Ghana has been sentenced to 40 months after being convicted of defrauding victims on a dating website.
According to court documents, 38-year-old Richard Yaw Dorpe posed as a single, 57-year-old man from Virginia Beach on “OurTime” which is an online dating website for people over 50 years old.
Officials say Dorpe posed as a jeweler who was traveling abroad to buy gold and other jewelry and would return home to Virginia Beach.
One of Dorpe’s victims was a 68-year-old recent widow from Chesapeake. The two met on the dating site and began an online romantic relationship that lasted from August 2016 through January 2017.
Throughout their online communication, Dorpe convinced the woman to send him clothes, jewelry, a computer, a watch, and over $300,000. The woman eventually realized she was a victim of a scam and was contacted by the FBI.
In January of 2021, Ghana approved the United States’ extradition request and the FBI brought Dorpe to the Eastern District of Virginia to face charges.
In May, Dorpe pleaded guilty to wire fraud. He was sentenced to 40 months in prison.
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