Ze'Shawn Stanley Cambell, a 35-year-old man from San Bernadino County, was convicted after pleading guilty in October 2022 to one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering. The judge, in this case, reported that Campbell showed a high level of disrespect for the law and inflicted not only monetary damages on the victims but emotional damage, as many of the victims believed they were in a real relationship with Campbell.

All in all, Campbell caused 17 different victims, eight women, and nine businesses to suffer losses exceeding $550,000. The judge sentenced him to 120 months in federal prison.

Romance Scams Gone Overboard

Apparently, from April 2014 to April 2020, Campbell befriended his eight victims and started romantic relationships with them. During this time, he told them grandiose lies, like that he was a successful businessman with millions of dollars in the bank, an investor in real estate and Bitcoin, and a Navy SEAL veteran from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

After convincing his victims he was a legitimate businessman, Campbell would then persuade them to give him money and property to support his businesses, fund investments made on their behalf, and pay his supposed medical bills. Instead, he used the money to pay for personal expenses and luxury items. In one such account, Campbell received a check for $61,452 from one victim that he was supposed to use to make an investment in Bitcoin on the victim's behalf. Instead, he used interstate wires to deposit the check into his Wells Fargo bank account and then used the money on himself, which included making a payment on BMW and Mercedes-Benz vehicles that he had leased in a different victim's name.

Hiring a Skilled Defense Attorney

It is important to consider that when defendants who are presumed innocent are coerced into taking plea deals, it hinders their defense team's ability to defend them effectively. Attorney Vitaly Sigal of Sigal Law Group is a skilled defense attorney who will work meticulously to ensure the best possible outcome for your case. Call 818-325-0579 today for a free consultation.