Raleigh Woman Sentenced for Laundering Millions in International Romance Scam

RALEIGH, N.C. – A Wake County woman found herself entangled in a web of deception and fraud, serving as the financial middleman in a global romance scam that preyed on unsuspecting victims. Now, she’s facing the consequences.

Michon Raquel Griffin, 46, of Raleigh, was sentenced to 24 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay over $109,000 in restitution after admitting to laundering millions of dollars stolen through an elaborate online romance fraud scheme. Griffin pleaded guilty in July 2024 to conspiracy to commit money laundering and filing false tax returns.

From Love to Lies: The Romance Scam Unraveled

Romance scams have become a lucrative industry for international fraud rings, with scammers creating fake identities to lure victims into online relationships—only to exploit them financially. These criminals often rely on “money mules” to move stolen funds, allowing them to remain undetected.

Griffin played a critical role in this global deception, funneling over $2 million in stolen money through bank accounts she controlled at sixteen financial institutions. She converted the cash into cryptocurrency and wired it overseas to co-conspirators in Nigeria, ensuring the fraudsters stayed in the shadows.

Big Payoffs, Bigger Consequences

Griffin pocketed a hefty $300,000 commission for her part in the scheme, but she made a fatal mistake: failing to report her illicit earnings on her tax return. That financial misstep helped authorities build their case against her.

Now, instead of cashing in on her fraudulent fortune, Griffin will spend the next two years behind bars.

How the Feds Took Her Down

The Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) spearheaded the probe, unraveling the digital paper trail that led straight to Griffin. U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle handed down her sentence, closing another chapter in the fight against international fraud.

Is Justice Served?

Griffin’s case is just one example of how romance scams devastate lives—not just for the victims who lose everything but also for those who think they can profit from these schemes without getting caught.

For more details on the case, visit the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or search PACER for Case No. 5:24-CR-173-BO.

No booking photo is available.