A federal grand jury recently indicted Blessed Marvelous Herve, 41, of San Francisco, for wire fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud victims of approximately $1.6 million (h/t Softpedia).
Herve apparently claimed that he was the son of the president of the Congo, but that the U.S. government had seized $43 million of his assets. He offered victims a "bonus" of $1.5 million if they would help him reclaim the purported $43 million.
In October of 2012, Herve apparently solicited and received $47,000 from a single victim by claiming that he needed the money to help pay an IRS judgement against him.
Another victim apparently gave Herve tens of thousands of dollars to pay for purported real estate tours to be conducted by Herve's father, in exchange for the promise of tens of millions of dollars in real estate.
To bolster his credibility, Herve showed victims fake documents such as a letter from a United States Senator and a certificate of Special Congressional Recognition from a Member of Congress.
Herve was arrested on April 24, 2013. His first appearance in district court is scheduled for May 31, 2013. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.