Canadian man gets 10 years in US prison for stealing millions in bogus psychic scam

A former Montreal resident has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison in the United States for a decade-long scam that conned more than a million Americans into sending money to bogus psychics.

The US Department of Justice said 57-year-old Patrice Runner stole more than $175 million from 1.3 million people in the US between 1994 and 2014.

Runner, a citizen of Canada and France, was convicted in June 2023 of 14 counts, including mail fraud and wire fraud, in a New York federal court.

According to officials, Runner sent the Montreal company letters from psychics promising wealth and happiness to Americans in exchange for a fee.

US authorities say psychics were not involved in the operation and that those who paid received additional letters offering to sell them additional services and items with magical powers.

Inspector Chris Nielsen of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service's Philadelphia division says Runner preyed on elderly, vulnerable Americans and that the sentence is an “appropriate punishment.”

— This Canadian Press report was first published on April 17, 2024.