Didn’t see it coming: 'Psychic' arrested for multimillion-dollar fraud scheme

57-year-old Patrice Runner was convicted earlier this week after being found guilty of committing a decades-long mass-mailing fraud scheme, according to a US Department of Justice press release.

Runner was convicted of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, eight counts of mail fraud, four counts of wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. He was found not guilty on four counts of mail fraud. He is awaiting sentencing and faces up to 20 years imprisonment.

Runner, who holds both French and Canadian citizenship was responsible for defrauding more than $175 million USD from victims in the United States.

Runner’s scheme, which ran from 1994-2014, involved sending personalized letters to elderly and vulnerable individuals. The letters claimed to be sent from psychics and promised that the victim would have the opportunity to achieve wealth and happiness in exchange for a fee.

Once victimized, the individual would then be bombarded with letters offering additional services and items for an additional cost.

Not-so-personalized psychic vision

Each nearly identical letter claimed that the recipient was receiving the communication because a psychic had a personalized vision about them.

The victims were selected through lists traded with other mail fraud schemes.

Runner had a string of accomplices in his crime, which he successfully carried out over a 20-year period by registering the scheme under shell companies registered in Canada and Hong Kong. He hid his involvement by living in different countries.

Runner was extradited from Spain to the United States in 2020.

“This case exemplifies the commitment of the Department of Justice’s Consumer Protection Branch and its partners in the US Postal Inspection Service to investigating and prosecuting fraud schemes targeting Americans, no matter where in the world those schemes originate,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will work with our law enforcement partners in the United States and around the world to bring to justice criminals who target Americans.” 

“For over 20 years, Patrice Runner managed a predatory scheme that targeted older Americans by mailing personalized letters to millions of victims purporting to be from a world renowned psychic. Yesterday’s verdict should have come as no surprise to Mr. Runner,” said Inspector in Charge Chris Nielsen of the Postal Inspection Service’s Philadelphia Division.