A Miramar woman who laundered millions of dollars that were stolen in romance scams was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison, authorities said.
Cristine Petitfrere, 30, was sentenced to 30 months in prison Tuesday and was ordered to forfeit $203,815.59 in proceeds that she personally received in the scheme, the U.S. Department of Justice said.
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WATCH HEREPetitfrere pleaded guilty in September to conspiring to launder over $2.7 million.
Prosecutors said Petitfrere used bank accounts to receive the proceeds from the romance scams, kept a portion as a fee and funneled the rest to a co-conspirator overseas.
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She received hundreds of thousands of dollars for her efforts.
Authorities said romance scams involve fraudsters creating fake online personas to gain the trust and affection of victims, who they then financially exploit.
Americans lost $1.14 billion to romance scams in 2023, officials said. Many of the victims are elderly.
Petitfrere had been facing a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
"Romance scams are a growing threat to Americans, particularly to the elderly and vulnerable," said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. "We will continue to vigorously pursue those who help facilitate these criminal enterprises, whether they work on the frontlines of deception or behind the scenes."
