Overview
- The Montgomery County District Attorney says Gina Marie Marks, 52, and Steve Nicklas, 40, were arrested in Kearny, New Jersey, in connection with an alleged long-running confidence scheme.
- Charges include corrupt organizations, theft-related offenses, receiving stolen property, dealing in proceeds of unlawful activities, conspiracy, and misdemeanor fortune telling.
- Investigators attribute $613,959 in losses to two victims, citing an 11‑month span for the first victim from Sept. 23, 2022, to Aug. 31, 2023, and a second case beginning in June 2023 with alleged threats and demands for cash and luxury goods.
- Authorities say payment trails through Cash App, Zelle, and a credit union tie funds and items to accounts controlled by the defendants, who allegedly promised curse removals and ritual ‘cleansings.’
- Both defendants were arraigned this week; several outlets report they posted bail and were released, a preliminary hearing is set for Oct. 20, and Marks’ prior fraud convictions in Maryland and Florida are noted in court records.