'Psychic healer' bilked couple of $70K, made threats to extort money, police say

A Braselton man who described himself as a psychic healer bilked a couple of more than $70,000 and made threats about the victims' family to get them to pay up, police said.

Jackson William Ramirez-Reyes, 40, was charged with six counts of theft by deception and two counts of terroristic threats and acts.

Gainesville Police Lt. Kevin Holbrook said Ramirez-Reyes was preying on the Latino community, advertising his services on Hispanic radio stations. Police believe there may be more victims, and anyone with information on cases involving Ramirez-Reyes is asked to contact law enforcement.

Holbrook said the victims "were living in fear until they were able to come to us for assistance, in fear that something bad was going to happen to them and/or their family."

Holbrook said the couple in this case responded to one of Ramirez-Reyes' ads about psychic healing, where he made "promises that he very well knew he could not uphold."

Holbrook did not have specific details on the promises made to the couple.

"After they confronted him about the scam in which they were involved in, he then threatened them with his psychic and/or healing powers to say that they would be killed in a car accident, family members would receive cancer, things of that nature, to extort money from them," Holbrook said.

The Times has requested the police reports and warrants in the case.

Ramirez-Reyes was booked in Wednesday, Oct. 19, to the Hall County Jail and released late Thursday, Oct. 20.

A number listed for Ramirez-Reyes called by The Times was not in service.