Police previously arrested 42-year-old self-proclaimed psychic Ann Thompson for scamming two clients out of $800,000. She now has another arrest under her belt after being hauled off to jail on August 16th after authorities discovered she conned over a dozen other victims.
On Thursday morning, the New Jersey native pleaded not guilty to 17 counts at the Manhattan Supreme Court. These counts include forgery, grand theft, and a scheme to defraud. Michael Lumley is the prosecutor in the case. He states that over the last five years, Thompson tricked over a dozen victims into giving her over $1 million.
Thompson worked out of a psychic storefront called “Psychic Zoe,” located on West 35th Street near Seventh Avenue in Manhattan. The complaint states that she would con her victims by making them believe they suffered from several psychic disorders. She would then tell them she could cure them for a hefty price.
Thompson Uses Fear Tactics To Take People’s Money
According to the complaint, the fraudulent psychic scammed a Canadian woman out of about $740,000. She convinced her to buy gold coins and put them inside a makeshift temple that “helped protect her from danger.” Lumley referred to Thompson as a “con artist” who preyed on vulnerable customers and requested that the judge, Justice Gregory Carro, raise the $50,000 bail.
Thompson’s defense lawyer, Robert Gottlieb, defended her by referring to her as a “spiritual adviser.” They claimed that many of her clients wouldn’t even cooperate with the Manhattan District Attorney’s investigation because they saw her as a personal friend. Gottlieb also stated that Thompson was not a flight risk and that she rarely leaves the state.
Lumley, however, has examined and researched over five years’ worth of Thompson’s financial records and argued against Gottlieb’s claim. “There are expenditures out of state all the time,” he said. “They go to casinos. They go to Atlantic City all the time.” Justice Carro stated that Thompson could serve a lengthy prison sentence due to these new charges. He then increased her bond to $250,000.
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