Oklahoma woman scammed $1.5 million from elderly women by posing as men in fake romances, officials say

Christine Joan Echohawk is accused of manipulating four elderly women out of hundreds of thousands of dollars using aliases such as Jason Morris and Edward Lotts, the Oklahoma attorney general says.

By Viola Flowers

In December, Oklahoma officials say, Jason Morris persuaded his online, elderly girlfriend to send him $120,000 to pay for an oil vessel carrying 700,000 barrels in Alaska he said he owned to return to shore. Once the rig returned, she and Morris would move in together, he is alleged to have said.

The bank held the funds, according to court documents. Morris instructed the woman to contact her bank and lie to it, saying the funds were for purchasing property and not for the alleged oil tanker, the documents say.

But the bank was right to raise suspicion — officials say there was never an Alaskan oil rig. In fact, they say, there was never a Jason Morris.

'Scams that target seniors'

Christine Joan Echohawk, 53, of Oklahoma, is accused of being the face behind the screen, scamming the older woman out of hundreds of thousands of dollars and laundering the money.

Four women were scammed out of $1.5 million through Echohawk's online romance scams from Sept. 30 to Dec. 26, Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond’s office said in a news release.

The women were ages 64 and 79, and all lived outside Oklahoma.

“These types of scams that target seniors are especially egregious,” Drummond said in the release.

Drummond filed charges against Echohawk on Monday alleging “unlawful use of criminal proceeds and using a computer to violate state statutes,” the release said. Echohawk was sent cash, checks, wired funds and even tens of thousands of dollars in Apple gift cards, it said.

Authorities say Echohawk laundered the funds through various accounts, converting the money into cryptocurrency and sending the crypto payments to an unidentified person.

Jason Morris, Edward Lotts and Glenn Goadard

The alleged scams included fake names — such as Edward Lotts and Glenn Goadard — and elaborate backstories explaining the need for loads of cash, according to a probable cause affidavit.

Lotts persuaded a woman to send more than $600,000 to pay off a debt that would allow $2 million to be released to "him." When the debt was paid off, Lotts would move in with her, the affidavit says.

The victim sold her paid-off home to send all the money, it says.

Goadard contacted another woman claiming to have known her since college, authorities said. The woman was persuaded to pay $250,000 for expenses on a financial portfolio Goadard would send her from Syria, they said.

But Echohawk received all the funds, depositing them into a MidFirst Bank account in which she was the sole signatory, the affidavit alleges.

The Stillwater MidFirst Bank branch tipped off Drummond's office in January, suspecting Echohawk of senior-fraud activity after a $120,000 payment from one of the victims was intercepted and held, according to the release. The Consumer Protection Unit subsequently investigated.

Confidence/romance crimes and Maurice Deniro

Defined as a confidence/romance scheme by the FBI, such crimes occur when people believe they are in relationships — whether with family members, friends or romantic partners — and manipulated into sending money, financial or personal information or items of value to a perpetrator. The FBI Internet Crime Report found more than $600 million was lost in 2023 to confidence/romance crimes.

Local law enforcement confronted Echohawk about the suspected criminal activity in January, but she is alleged to have continued to launder the money after a short hiatus.

Echohawk was voluntarily interviewed at the Pawnee Police Department on March 26. She opened the interview by asking whether it would "all go away" if she paid back the people who sent her money, according to the affidavit.

But she then claimed it was she who was in an online relationship, that she had been receiving cash, checks, wire transfers and other items since 2023 for a person under the alias of Maurice Dinero, the affidavit says. Echohawk claimed there were "red flags" about her situation and had concerns that she would be arrested, it says.

When Echohawk consented to have her purse searched, the affidavit says, there were multiple bank cards associated with accounts she is alleged to have laundered money through, a MidFirst Bank deposit slip for $110,000 and several Apple gift cards with the barcodes revealed. There was also $500 in cash, which Echohawk said was from people sending money to the alias but that she had not yet deposited, the affidavit says.

Echohawk is charged with four counts of unlawful use of criminal proceeds and one count of violating the Oklahoma Computer Crimes Act, which could carry up to 62 years in prison and $260,000 in fines, the release said.

She has been held in the Pawnee County Jail since Monday, according to Pawnee County Sheriff's Office records. An attorney was not listed, and it is unclear whether she has legal representation.

The Pawnee County courthouse and jail.Google Maps

“I applaud the work of my Consumer Protection Unit to fight for these victims and to hold accountable their alleged perpetrator," Drummond said in the release. 

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Oklahoma woman scammed $1.5 million from elderly women by posing as men in fake romances, officials say

Woman arrested again for scamming elderly Miami resident out of jewelry: Police

Katherine Coromoto Angulo-Rivera, 27, is facing additional charges of organized fraud and exploitation of the elderly

By Julian Quintana 

A woman previously arrested for allegedly scamming elderly Miami residents out of jewelry has been arrested again after being accused of scamming another elderly resident out of tens of thousands of dollars worth of jewelry.

Katherine Coromoto Angulo-Rivera, 27, is facing additional charges of organized fraud and exploitation of the elderly.

She was previously arrested earlier in April on similar charges.

According to police, on March 3, an elderly victim was outside her home when she was approached by Angulo-Rivera who asked them if they had any old frames for eyeglasses she could also melt the frames down to costume jewelry.

An arrest report said Angulo-Rivera also told the victim she offered a jewelry cleaning service.

After speaking with the victim, she was invited into their home and offered to clean their jewelry, the report said.

Once inside the home, the report said, the victim gave Angulo-Rivera around $30,000 in jewelry so that it could be cleaned.

Angulo-Rivera then placed the jewelry in a container, poured a liquid solution and smoke began to emit, the report said.

She then asked the victim to get some paper towels and after getting some, Angulo-Rivera placed a paper towel over the container and told the victim not to remove it for an hour and then left, the report said.

After following Angulo-Rivera's instructions, the report said, the victim removed the paper from the container and noticed her jewelry was missing and it was replaced with a rosary that was burned and melted down.

Angulo-Rivera would perform this scheme for several other elderly residents.

Weeks after their jewelry was stolen, the victim was watching NBC6 and recognized Angulo-Rivera and called the police, the report said.

Angulo-Rivera on Monday was identified in a Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office photographic lineup.

She was then apprehended by the City of Miami Police and was transferred into MDSO custody, the report said.

After being read her Miranda Rights and refusing to speak with deputies without her lawyer present, she was charged and transported to the Turner Night Guilford Correctional Center.

During her court appearance, a judge set Angulo-Rivera's bond to $15,000 and ordered her to stay away from the victim.

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Woman arrested again for scamming elderly Miami resident out of jewelry: Police

Missouri woman indicted for scamming over 1 million from elderly Facebook user

A woman from Independence, Missouri, was arrested following a five-count federal indictment alleging she defrauded an elderly victim of more than $1 million.

Amanda Sargent, 35, was indicted by a federal grand jury on March 26, 2025. The indictment was unsealed after her arrest. According to the indictment, Sargent allegedly met the victim through a Facebook group that connects individuals experiencing homelessness in the Kansas City area with community resources.

In late 2021, Sargent posted a request in the Facebook group asking for assistance with car repairs. The elderly victim responded by sending a small amount of money. Over the next two years, Sargent allegedly made repeated false claims requesting help for various expenses, including medical bills, rent, utilities, and a kidney transplant. The victim believed the money was helping Sargent and her children and ultimately sent over $1 million between late 2021 and mid-2023.

According to the indictment, Sargent’s claims were false, and she withdrew the money in cash for personal use.

The Platte County Sheriff’s Office initiated an investigation after the victim reported the suspected fraud. The indictment includes five counts, each representing separate alleged acts of fraud.

The charges in the indictment are accusations and do not constitute evidence of guilt. Prosecutors must present evidence to a federal trial jury, which will determine guilt or innocence.

If convicted, Sargent faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 per count. Sentencing will be determined by the court, based on federal guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be set following a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

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Missouri woman indicted for scamming over 1 million from elderly Facebook user

98-Year-Old Victim Of Financial Exploitation One Step Closer To Justice

CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Supporters of a 98-year-old-victim of financial exploitation believe they are one step closer to justice.

Grace Watanabe survived a Japanese internment camp during World War II.  She later moved to Washington, DC and spent decades working for the Department of Health and Human Services.

Watanabe moved to the Symphony Residences of Lincoln Park 10 years ago due to declining health and the aftereffects of a fall.

She suffers from dementia and has no surviving relatives.

The Cook County Public Guardian's Office said five employees at Symphony Residences and one caregiver are accused of scamming Watanabe out of at least $700,000 dollars of her life savings.

Supporters said some progress was made during a court hearing this morning. Acting Public Guardian Charles Golbert told the judge that the Cook County State's Attorney's Office told him that a decision on criminal charges should come in the next three weeks.

Golbert believes criminal charges are necessary because financial exploitation of the elderly often goes unreported.

"That's why in a case like this, where we know that it happened and we have all the facts, it's critical that criminal charges be brought as a deterrent to protect vulnerable citizens," Golbert said.

Chicago's Japanese-American community has rallied to Watanabe's side.

"We're here to make as much noise as possible, to get justice for Ms. Watanabe, but also to work on fixing the system," said Michael Takada, CEO of the Japanese American Service Committee.

Golbert and attorneys for Symphony said they have reached an agreement on the discovery process in civil proceedings. Golbert said his office has taken depositions from the nursing home employees who allegedly took part in the scheme, but all six have asserted their Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. 


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98-Year-Old Victim Of Financial Exploitation One Step Closer To Justice