Evergreen Reporter

A Wake County woman has been sentenced to two years in prison for her involvement in an international romance scam. Michon Griffin, 46, was sentenced to 24 months, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $109,119 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service. Griffin pled guilty on July 10, 2024, to charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering and making false statements on her tax return.

The case involved a type of internet-enabled fraud known as a romance scam. In such schemes, fraudsters create fake online identities to build romantic relationships with victims and exploit them financially. Often, these scams use "money mules" like Griffin to transfer funds across borders.

Court documents revealed that from 2021 to 2023, Griffin received over $2 million through the scheme. She deposited these funds into fictitious bank accounts at sixteen financial institutions before converting them into virtual currency and wiring them overseas to Nigeria-based coconspirators. For her role, Griffin earned approximately $300,000 in commissions but failed to report this income on her 2021 tax return.

Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina announced the sentencing following the decision by U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle. The Internal Revenue Service Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation with Assistant U.S. Attorney Ethan Ontjes prosecuting the case.

For further details, related court documents can be accessed via the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina's website or through PACER under Case No. 5:24-CR-173-BO.