On April 7, 2025, Attorney General Gentner Drummond (R-Ok) ordered the arrest of 53-year-old Christine Joan Echohawk for laundering nearly $1.5 million in funds stolen by elderly romance scam victims between September 30, 2024 and December 26, 2024. The scammer who lured the victims into a romantic relationship with them falsely claimed the money would be used to pay for fuel to help their Alaskan tanker, which they claimed to carry 700,000 oil barrels, return to shore, or help them pay off expenses for a financial portfolio in Syria.
The money was sent to Echohawk in the form of cash, Apple gift cards and checks and wire transfers to her accounts at MidFirst Bank, who intercepted a $120,000 transfer from one of the victims this past January. Most of the funds would be converted into cryptocurrency and transferred to an account under the name of her male accomplice.
Echohawk is currently being held in the Pawnee County Jail on five felony counts, including unlawful use of criminal proceeds and violations of the Oklahoma Computer Crimes Act. She faces 24-62 years in prison and fines of up to $260,000.
https://www.bellinghamherald.com/news/nation-world/national/article303828146.html
https://www.newsnationnow.com/crime/oklahoma-woman-accused-of-laundering-1-5m-from-elderly-victims/