A California man is looking at a potential century behind bars after being indicted on charges that he conned a suburban Chicago resident out of a cool $2 million. Raymond Echavez Villamor, 60, from Newport Beach, Calif., is facing five counts of wire fraud following a grand jury indictment in U.S. District Court in Chicago.

Each count that Villamor is up against carries a maximum of 20 years if he's convicted, making the time he could serve a stark reminder to others that crime doesn't pay. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Illinois, the accused entered a plea of not guilty during his arraignment on Monday. U.S. Chief Magistrate Judge Young B. Kim presided over the proceedings.

Acting U.S. Attorney Morris Pasqual, along with FBI Chicago Field Office's Special Agent-in-Charge Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler, Jr., announced the indictment. Painted as the villain in this legal drama, Villamor reportedly ran a company called Rainbowork, LLC., and spent half a year crafting his ploy to bilk the victim, a Glenview, Ill., resident, using tall tales about the performance and value of the investment.

Villamor not only made false promises of repayment with interest within a certain timeframe but also knew well that fulfilling these promises was not within his reach, the indictment alleges. Instead, the money from the victim was funneled into Villamor's lavish lifestyle, with expenses including vehicle purchases cutting a hefty slice out of the ill-gotten gains, as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Illinois.

Authorities were keen to emphasize that the charges filed don't paint the whole picture. As the old saying goes, "An indictment is not evidence of guilt." The justice system upholds that Villamor has the right to a fair trial, where the burden lies on the government to prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. The investigation is currently ongoing, and eyes will be peeled as this case unfolds.