Mona Faiz Montrage, alias Hajia4Real, has finally been sentenced to jail by a United States court after being found guilty of internet romance scam. The Ghanaian socialite was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one count of money laundering conspiracy and one count of money laundering.

In addition to these charges, some additional charges included one count of stolen money (carries 10-year prison sentence) and conspiracy to receive stolen cash (carries 5-year prison sentence).

Her legal team pleaded for a 3-month sentence for their client because she is a single mother and also did not have any previous criminal records but the court decided to go by the law in a lenient way.

The court stated her sentence should serve as a deterrent to others who are also fond of these internet romance scams.

Per the report of Inner City Press in America, Hajia4Real sobbed during her sentence when she said she was ashamed of being the mother of an 8-year-old daughter.

“I want to pay them back; I feel shame as the mother of an 8-year-old daughter. Please have mercy on me,” she was quoted.

Hajia4Real blamed her daughter’s father for introducing her into the romance scam but the Assistant US Attorney disclosed that the victims Hajia4Real duped were vulnerable senior citizens.

He continued that Hajia4Real promised to marry some; they sent her countless amounts of money, which amounted to 1.4 million USD from 34 victims.

Defense lawyer for Hajia4Real, “3 months incarceration would be enough. She didn’t know the money going into her account was from romance scam.”

Judge: she created multiple accounts.

Defense: She’s never before disclosed her abuse by her ex-boyfriend.

Assistant US Attorney disclosed that many people in Ghana are following the case and it should serve as deterrent because Hajia4Real created multiple bank accounts for the scam.

Judge: I sentence Ms Montrage to one year and one day in prison, the extra day to allow “good time.”

The defense also proposed that Hajia4Real should be flown to Ghana after serving her jail term, to which they agreed.