Psychic’s client: I gave $ 800,000
Woman testifies she was told that nearly $ 500,000 in cash and gold coins burned in the 9/ 11 attack
When Sylvia Roma visited a psychic in late 1997, she was a successful executive who figured her life was happy and the tarot card reading was “just for entertainment.”
But Roma was quickly convinced that her family was cursed, she said, and over the next 14 years she sent close to $ 800,000 worth of cash and gold coins to the woman she knew as Joyce Michaels, but who was really Rose Marks.
Marks summoned her to Fort Lauderdale in July 2002 and told her that nearly $ 500,000 in cash and gold coins Roma had already given to Marks had burned in the 9/ 11 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center— yet Roma continued to send money and jewelry to Marks, she testified.
“I was in so far, had nothing to do but believe her. I didn’t see any way out,” Roma testified Thursday in federal court inWest PalmBeach, whereMarks is on trial.
Prosecutors say Marks, 62, of Fort Lauderdale, and her family defrauded about $ 25 million from victims they met inManhattan and South Florida.
It’s rare for so- called Gypsy fortune- telling frauds cases such as this one to go to trial, law enforcement experts say, and one of the reasons is that alleged victims are embarrassed and ashamed to admit they’ve been tricked.
Roma, who will be back on the witness stand Friday to be cross- examined by the defense, told jurors that she became depressed and isolated asMarks urged her to sendmore andmoremoney.
Marks told Roma she couldn’t discuss “the work” with anyone because it would let “negative energy” affect Marks’ efforts to lift the curse and help Roma to have a happier life, she said. Marks told her she was meditating and building an altar and a protective shield with the hundreds of gold coins thatRomaprovided to her.
Marks told her “a million times” that all of the cash, gold and jewelry was being kept in a safe place and would be returned when “the work” was done — but Marks only returned $ 22,000, Roma said.
Roma, who is in her late 50s and lives in Houston, Texas, said Marks flattered her and told her that she alone could save her family from the curse.
Though Roma depleted her retirement accounts and savings, refinanced her home and borrowed on her credit cards, she said she sent more money – including $ 150,000 in late 2009 – hoping each time that the work would succeed and Marks would return everything.
Roma said she also sent 55 items of valuable jewelry thatMarkswas going to use in herwork, then return. On the witness stand, Roma identified about 30 pieces of jewelry that she said were hers from hundreds of items federal agents seized during a 2011 raid onMarks’ home.