A New York woman has been indicted on multiple charges after allegedly swindling a woman from Massachusetts out of $300,000 in an elaborate online romance scam. As reported by MassLive, the suspect is 42-year-old Nikeisha Lewis, who is now facing counts of money laundering, larceny and receiving property over $1,200.
The victim, residing in Plymouth County, was led to believe she was in a relationship with a CIA agent and diamond tycoon named "Richard Kobstar." The scam was to progress swiftly, with the Massachusetts woman sending multiple large sums, including checks, cash, and wire transfers, to Lewis, whom she thought was Kobstar's assistant. According to details released by Plymouth County District Attorney Tim Cruz, the scam began in the fall of 2020 and continued unflagged until December 2021.
Lewis, who was indicted by a grand jury on Jan. 2, reportedly funneled the money into her own business account at Wells Fargo. The scheme unfolded during the COVID-19 pandemic. "The investigation showed Lewis had been fraudulently depositing the payments the woman made into her own business account at Wells Fargo bank, then concealed the money by quickly withdrawing the stolen cash from random ATMs," the District Attorney’s office informed MassLive.
The case took a turn when Plymouth Police were alerted in March 2022, and the force then began to thoroughly investigate. The Plymouth Police investigation, as detailed by WHDH, found that Lewis acted in a joint venture with other individuals who remain unknown. Police investigations revealed that Lewis covered her tracks by rapidly withdrawing the stolen cash from ATMs scattered randomly.
The funds Lewis acquired from the scheme were used to cover her living expenses, including mortgage, utilities, groceries, and travel. Her indictment follows the discovery of the scam's breadth and the methods used to deceive the Massachusetts woman out of such a substantial amount of money. Nikeisha Lewis is expected to be arraigned on these indictments at a date yet to be set.
