An Ohio man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison on Wednesday for impersonating a Ghanaian prince and defrauding more than a dozen victims out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
According to evidence presented in court during his trial, Daryl Robert Harrison, who used the aliases Prince Daryl R. Attipoe and Prophet Daryl R. Attipoe, defrauded at least 14 people out of more than $800,000.
In September, Harrison was found guilty of mail and wire fraud, conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, and witness tampering.
Prosecutors said Harrison stole money from people who thought they were investing in African mining and trucking companies for several years. According to the Justice Department, Harrison falsely claimed to be a Ghanaian prince with connections to those companies.
Many of Harrison’s victims were members of the Power House of Prayer Ministries, where Harrison and his stepfather pretended to be ministers. Prosecutors claim that Harrison and his stepfather used the investment funds for personal expenses such as renting a house in Colorado and purchasing luxury cars.
District Judge Michael J. Newman sentenced Harrison to the maximum allowed by law, 20 years in prison, which was more than the 14-year sentence requested by prosecutors.
“Each of the Defendant’s fraud crimes was committed in a cold, calculated and premeditated fashion,” prosecutors wrote in court filings, describing Harrison as an “extremely self-centred, self-possessed sociopath who has no respect for societal rules or norms, and further lacks any empathy or sympathy for his victims” that “intimidated and threatened his victims to establish and maintain control over them.”
Harrison had requested a much lower sentence from the judge, citing supportive letters from parishioners and family members. Harrison’s lawyer also mentioned that his wife, who is raising their six children, is battling stage IV cancer.
In December, Harrison’s stepfather, Robert Shelly Harrison, Jr., pleaded guilty to one felony charge. Later this month, he will be sentenced.
Source: Ghpage.com
