Oklahoma Woman Charged with Laundering $1.5M from Elderly in Romance Scam

Christine Joan Echohawk, a 53-year-old woman from Oklahoma, has been charged with laundering approximately $1.5 million from elderly victims through online romance scams. Targeting four women aged 64 to 79, Echohawk used multiple aliases, including Edward Lotts and Jason Morris, to convince them they were in romantic relationships and that they needed to send money for various fabricated reasons, including paying off debts and funding an oil tanker. One victim sold her home to send $600,000, believing it would facilitate a future together. The Attorney General's office noted that these scams are particularly egregious as they prey on vulnerable seniors. Echohawk is accused of converting the stolen funds into cryptocurrency and sending them to an unidentified suspect. She now faces multiple charges that could result in significant prison time and fines.