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Release Haija4real’s passport for self-deportation – Lawyers appeal to US government

January 27, 2025
Brandy Nana Efia
Lawyers representing incarcerated Ghanaian influencer and socialite Mona Faiz Montrage have formally requested her passport from the US government.

In a document addressed to Judge J. Paul Oetken, the legal team sought the return of Ms Montrage’s passport to facilitate her self-deportation proceedings to Ghana.

 

We represent Ms Mona Montrage on the above-captioned matter. We write with the consent of the government to respectfully request the release of Ms Montrage’s passport, which was surrendered to Pretrial Services at the time of her arrest, portions of the letter read.

The request aligns with a prior judgment stipulating that her passport should be returned upon completion of her sentence. According to the arrangement, Ms Montrage will be escorted by the United States Marshals Service (USMS) from the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) facility to the airport upon the completion of her incarceration. She will then fly directly to Ghana without any domestic stops.

Ms Montrage self-surrendered on 29 July 2024 and is currently serving a year and a day at the Federal Detention Centre in Philadelphia.

 

She faced a six-count indictment for her involvement in a series of romance schemes and laundering the proceeds of these activities.

Mona Faiz Montrage, widely known as Hajia4Reall or Mona4Reall, was extradited from the UK to the US over her role in a romance scam totalling $2 million, which targeted older, single Americans. The 30-year-old musician and businesswoman made her first appearance in Manhattan federal court on 15 May 2022.

Court documents revealed that Hajia4Reall operated five foreign bank accounts through which she received funds from over forty victims, using fictitious business entities across three banks in the Bronx, New York.

She pleaded guilty to conspiracy to receive stolen money, one of seven charges, including attempted wire fraud, money laundering, and other related offences. The guilty plea carried a maximum prison sentence of five years.

As part of her sentencing, the court permitted Hajia4Reall to forfeit properties valued at $2,164,758.41 instead of paying monetary restitution for the stolen funds under the conspiracy charge.

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