Lady Accused of Drugging, Killing Older Males in Lethal Relationship App Scheme

A Las Vegas lady used relationship apps to lure, sedate and steal from older males in a “romance rip-off on steroids” that allegedly resulted in no less than three deaths, in line with authorities.

Aurora Phelps is in custody in Mexico and has been charged in a 21-count superseding indictment for the lethal rip-off, america Lawyer’s Workplace for the District of Nevada mentioned in a press launch on Friday, Feb. 21.

Phelps’ costs embrace a number of counts of wire fraud, mail fraud, financial institution fraud and id theft, in addition to one depend of kidnapping and one depend of kidnapping leading to loss of life, Sue Fahami, the appearing U.S. legal professional for the district, mentioned at a press convention the identical day, per the Related Press. 

It wasn’t instantly clear if Phelps, 43, has an legal professional for the case.

Phelps’ indictment follows a two-year investigation into her alleged crimes, which span from July 2021 to December 2022, by the FBI Las Vegas Division. On the Feb. 21 information convention, Spencer Evans, the particular agent in command of the division, mentioned, “This can be a romance rip-off on steroids.”

The FBI believes that Phelps — who glided by a number of names and has residences in Las Vegas and Guadalajara, Mexico — used relationship apps like Tinder, Hinge and Bumble and “intentionally and methodically focused older males to drug them and steal from them,” together with accessing financial institution, social safety and retirement accounts, in line with NBC Information and the AP.

Her victims, Evans mentioned, have been “people which are out in search of love that bumped into one thing way more sinister,” per the AP.

Although the alleged scammer “primarily focused aged males,” she was identified to focus on “all age teams in addition to girls,” the FBI mentioned within the bulletin. Officers mentioned there are 11 identified victims of Phelps, 4 of whom are included within the federal indictment, per NBC Information.

Three of Phelps’ victims died because of her scheme, officers mentioned. One man, who was a wheelchair consumer, was closely sedated and brought throughout the U.S.-Mexico border, and was later discovered lifeless in a resort in Mexico Metropolis, per NBC Information and the AP.

One other was discovered lifeless on the lavatory flooring of his Guadalajara residence, the AP reported. Police found him after his daughter was unable to contact him following a date with Phelps, who later used one in all his accounts to buy a gold coin, amongst different gadgets, per the outlet.

The fourth sufferer included in Phelps’ indictment, in the meantime, ended up in a coma because of her sedation, however later awoke, in line with NBC Information and the AP.

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Phelps’ scheme, Evans mentioned, is valued on the tons of of hundreds of {dollars}, a sum she then allegedly used to buy luxurious items and different gadgets, per NBC Information and the AP. She additionally bought about $3.3 million of one in all her victims’ Apple inventory, however was unable to withdraw the cash, the AP reported.

The entire worth of Phelps’ scheme might be extra, and the FBI posted a bulletin urging any further victims to come back ahead.

If convicted on all 21 counts, Phelps faces life in jail.