A woman accused of traveling across the US claiming to be an Irish heiress and defrauding multiple victims of tens of thousands of dollars was extradited to the United Kingdom, a U.S. official said Tuesday.
Marianne Smyth faces allegations that she stole more than $170,000 from victims from 2008 to 2010 in Northern Ireland.
A U.S. magistrate judge in Maine governed in May that there was enough evidence to extradite the American woman, who, according to her accusers, also turned into a witch, psychic and friend of Hollywood stars.
A US Department of Justice spokesperson confirmed the extradition and referred questions to law enforcement authorities in Northern Ireland. An attorney for Smyth did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
Authorities overseas said Smyth stole money he had promised to invest and also arranged to sell a house to the victim, but took the money instead. Smyth’s US victims included Johnathan Walton, a podcaster who warned others about his scams.
A Northern Ireland court issued warrants for her arrest earlier this decade. She was arrested in Maine in February.
Smyth drew comparisons with Anna Sorokina, a scammer who posed as a German heiress to pay for a glamorous lifestyle in New York City and became the subject of a Netflix series. Sorokin, whose real name is Anna Delvey, was convicted in 2019 of stealing $275,000 from banks, hotels and fashionable New Yorkers to finance his lavish lifestyle.
