A man who posed as a pilot to charm and cheat wealthy, newly-divorced women is to be tried in court on six accounts of aggravated fraud after conning his victims out of at least €60,000.
In what reads like a Hollywood movie script, the man passed himself off as a commercial airline pilot to allegedly dupe affluent, newly-divorcees out of large sums of money.
National newspaper Correio da Manhã reported that he is believed to have been helped by a former female partner, who is co-accused of the six crimes and of being involved in the fraudulent set-up and pretend facade.
According to orders against him and indictments the 57-year-old defendant chose his victims via online chat-rooms and posed as “a commercial airline pilot and an ex-military pilot” to “create an illusion of romantic involvement, leading the women to hand over large sums of money and valuable objects.”
Since at least 2008, the man has tricked women by using “identity, lifestyle, and forged documents.”
According to the accusation, the defendant would meet his victims “dressed up in a typical airline pilot’s outfit, with a pilot’s carry-on suitcase, badges and other accessories relating to aviation”, and claimed to be from “a good family that has a crest.”
He would show his prey fake documents such as an airline pilot’s license and mechanical engineering diploma from a course he allegedly took in Brazil.
Lusa News Agency said that the Public Prosecutor (MP) accused the man of leading the women to believe he was a wealthy pilot who was interested in having a relationship with them by using a “hoax” that was “astute, meticulous and artful, embodying characters with identities and habits of a fake life.”
“Once the accused had obtained the intended riches and could no longer keep up the farce he created, he would suddenly and unexpectedly end the relationship, and move on to his next victim. He would resort to psychological pressure and, in some cases, physical aggression to make the victims end the relationship”, the MP explained.
As well as €60,000 the man also fleeced his victims out of gold, furniture, silver cutlery, and in one case stole 12 gold rings worth in the region of €24,000.
He is being held in custody in a Lisbon prison until sentenced.
Source: http://theportugalnews.com
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