Couple Sentenced for Romance Fraud Scheme That Targeted Elderly NJ Victims

The defendants used fake identities to deceive seniors into sending over $800,000, funneling the funds primarily to Ghana through unlicensed transfers.

A Texas man and his romantic partner have been sentenced to federal prison for their roles in an international romance fraud scheme that defrauded elderly victims—some from New Jersey—of hundreds of thousands of dollars, federal prosecutors announced this week.

Felix Clark, 37, of Royse City, Texas, was sentenced on January 15, 2026, to five years in prison and three years of supervised release by Chief U.S. District Judge Renée Marie Bumb in Camden federal court. Clark, who previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud, admitted responsibility for over $500,000 in victim losses. He was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshal to begin serving his sentence immediately.

Clark’s romantic partner, Esther Amppiaw, 34, also of Royse City, was sentenced on January 7, 2026, to 18 months in prison and two years of supervised release. She had pleaded guilty to operating an unlicensed money transmitting business and is scheduled to report to prison at a later date.

According to court documents and statements made during the proceedings, the fraud scheme operated from at least October 2021 through September 2022, during which Clark, residing in Delray Beach, Florida at the time, worked with co-conspirators based in Ghana. These co-conspirators posed as romantic partners on online dating platforms to exploit elderly individuals—many of whom had recently lost spouses—by feigning affection and even proposing marriage.

The scammers fabricated stories about gold reserves in Ghana and persuaded victims to send money under the pretense of covering taxes, fees, or other fabricated expenses needed to release the gold. Victims were directed to send funds to Clark and others operating at his instruction, including Amppiaw. Clark used multiple aliases, including “Joseph Moore” and “Stanley Smith,” to create and operate financial accounts through which the money was funneled overseas.

Clark also admitted to obstructing justice following a law enforcement search of his home by attempting to submit a falsified death certificate and funeral notice. The intent was to regain possession of a seized passport by falsely claiming a family member's death.

Amppiaw, who operated the illegal money transmitting business from January 2022 through June 2023, knowingly received and transferred over $317,000 from individuals she had never met. Her activity included transferring funds to recipients in New Jersey and abroad, including Ghana. Authorities noted that she lied during multiple interviews with federal agencies—including U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, federal law enforcement, and her financial institution—about the nature and volume of her transactions.

The investigation was conducted by agents from the FBI’s Philadelphia Division, South Jersey Resident Agency, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Philadelphia Division. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elisa T. Wiygul, with oversight from Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden.

Romance fraud schemes have become increasingly prevalent in recent years, often targeting vulnerable older adults through emotional manipulation and deceptive storytelling. Victims are encouraged to report suspected scams to local or federal law enforcement.