Scam Victim Speaks on Losing Over $200,000 in Lompoc "Psychic Scammers" Case
KEYT - KCOY - KKFX News, California/May 9, 2016
By Amanda Valdes
Lompoc, California -- A Los Angeles man says the two people who recently plead guilty to felony theft in the Lompoc Psychic Scam also scammed him.
Michael Basura says Gina Lucyfenia Lee and Anthony Lee Davis stole more than $200,000 from him and his wife.
“We have been kind of pulling ourselves out of this it has been a long struggle for four years we are now getting somewhat afloat but its still a struggle,” says Basura.
He says before the the duo came to Lompoc they were based in Los Angeles County. He says they gained his trust and once they did that they took off with his money in 2011.
“She said she could help us, that you know we needed a cleansing, our house needed to be cleansed and our money had to be cleansed and she kind of gained our trust,” he says.
Lompoc Police say they received at least two reports from victims in Lompoc claiming that they had been scammed out of large sums of money from a psychic.
When detectives responded to the "Life Coach Psychic" business on the 1000 block of East Ocean Avenue in late April they found more than $12,000 in cash. They also found Cartier and Gucci jewelry.
On April 29, the District Attorney's office says Lee and Davis both plead guilty to two felony counts of grand theft and admitted to committing white collar crimes.
Authorities say they are ordered to pay back the money they took from the victims totaling $244,800.
Basura says he had paranormal activity going on in his home and Lee said she could help.
“We were giving her money for candles and stuff for cleansing and she said that she needed money for things she had to do or go and get to stop things going on in our home,” says Basura.
He says she even convinced him and his wife to empty out their 401k plans because the money had to be cleansed. "I said this is going to ruin us, this is a lot of money and then she took my hands and held my hands and said I am a woman of my word you have to trust me," he says. He says so far, he has not gotten any of his money back.
Lee and Davis are scheduled to appear in court in late July. If they have paid back all of the scammed money they will be sentenced to probation, if not, they could face up to nearly 6 years in prison.
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