Daryl Robert Harrison, a man from Ohio, was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Wednesday for defrauding over a dozen victims of hundreds of thousands of dollars by posing as a Ghanaian prince. Using the aliases Prince Daryl R. Attipoe and Prophet Daryl R. Attipoe, Harrison deceived at least 14 people, claiming to have connections with African mining and trucking companies in which they could invest. Prosecutors revealed that Harrison and his stepfather, who claimed to be ministers at the Power House of Prayer Ministries, used the investment money for their personal expenses, including renting a house in Colorado and buying luxury cars. Harrison was convicted of mail and wire fraud, conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, and witness tampering in September, and the evidence presented during the trial showed that he had stolen more than $800,000 from his victims.
District Judge Michael J. Newman sentenced Harrison to the maximum punishment allowed under the law, which was 20 years in prison, despite prosecutors asking for a 14-year sentence. The prosecutors described Harrison as an “extremely self-centered, self-possessed sociopath who has no respect for societal rules or norms, and further lacks any empathy or sympathy for his victims.” They stated that Harrison intimidated and threatened his victims to maintain control over them, and each of his fraud crimes was premeditated and committed in a cold and calculated manner.
Harrison’s defense attorney presented supportive letters from parishioners and family members, and Harrison himself requested a lower sentence, citing his wife’s battle with stage IV cancer while taking care of their six children. Harrison’s stepfather, Robert Shelly Harrison, Jr., who also claimed to be a minister at the Power House of Prayer Ministries, pleaded guilty to one felony charge in December and will be sentenced later this month
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