The Orange County Criminal Lawyer Blog
A Georgia man allegedly used stolen photos, voice-changing technology, and artificial intelligence to convince another man that he was engaged to a woman who did not exist.
According to police, the alleged victim believed his fiancée, who called herself “Hailey Morello,” was a sheriff’s deputy in Florida. The two had never met in person, but the alleged victim reportedly sent the individual money and exchanged vehicles with the man police say was actually behind the fake identity.
The alleged victim’s family became suspicious and believed he was being catfished. According to police, relatives investigated the person behind the online identity and eventually connected the suspect to “Hailey,” but the alleged victim refused to believe their warnings.
The family repeatedly contacted the suspect, prompting someone posing as “Hailey” to file a harassment complaint with police. Investigators later determined the suspect had also allegedly posed as a family member of the fictitious woman while reporting the harassment.
Police began looking into the situation and discovered what they described as a scheme involving fake identities, multiple phone numbers, and technology allegedly used to alter the suspect’s voice.
According to investigators, the suspect used photographs from the social media accounts of women, including a real female sheriff’s deputy in Florida, to create fake online identities and establish relationships with people.
During the investigation, officers encountered the suspect driving the alleged victim’s vehicle. Police said he gave them a false name and claimed the person they were looking for was his brother.
Investigators contacted the alleged victim and asked who had his car, and he reportedly told them his fiancée did. When police instructed him to call, the suspect’s phone rang.
Police said the alleged victim was shocked when he learned the person he believed he was engaged to was allegedly the suspect.
The suspect was arrested on multiple charges, including identity fraud involving fictitious identifying information, impersonating a public officer, giving a false name to law enforcement, and two counts of making false statements in a government matter.
If you or someone you love is suspected of a criminal offense, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.