An Ohio man claiming to be a prince from Ghana conned more than a dozen people out of $800,000 before his scheme blew up. Daryl Robert Harrison, who posed as the "prince" or "prophet" Daryl R. Attipoe, was convicted Friday of mail and wire fraud, conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, and witness tampering, per CNN. He and his stepfather, who is awaiting trial, claimed they were ministers with Power House of Prayer Ministries, a group that financially supported "religious services in various church facilities and private residences" in Ohio and Colorado, according to the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Ohio. Many fraud victims were members of the congregation.
Harrison told victims that, as an African prince, he had direct connections to African trucking and mining companies which offered investment opportunities with returns of between 28% and 33%. From January 2014 to September 2020, he took more than $800,000 from at least 14 people. Soon after receiving investments, he would take thousands of dollars from the ministry's bank account, which he and his stepfather used to pay for luxury vehicles, trips, and a house rental in Colorado, authorities said, per WHIO. They sought to "unjustly enrich themselves and PHOP … without the knowledge or authorization of the investors," according to a 2020 indictment. It added Harrison "routinely terminated all communications with investors." He faces up to 20 years in prison at sentencing. (More fraud stories.)
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