Louisiana man deceives friends persuading he could diagnose their medical problems via satellite

A Louisiana man bilked his friends and family out of more than $800,000 (€543,478) by convincing them that his wife was a government agent who could arrange to have their medical problems diagnosed by satellite imaging. He was sentenced to more than four years in prison.

Photo: Louisiana man deceives friends persuading he could diagnose their medical problems via satellite

Brent Eric Finley, 38, was sentenced Monday in federal court in Monroe to 51 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. His wife, Stacey Finley, was sentenced in August to spend 63 months in prison and both are ordered to jointly pay $873,786.94 (€593,605.26) in restitution.

The Finleys pleaded guilty in August to wire fraud, according to court records.

U.S. Attorney Donald W. Washington said the couple convinced people that Stacey Finley was a CIA agent who could schedule a medical scan of the victims' bodies by satellite imaging.

The Finley's convinced their victims that, if medical problems were found, secret agents would give them medicines while they slept in exchange for payment, according to a bill of information filed when the Finleys were charged in May.

"These audacious criminals should remind all of us that scam artists will go to great lengths to take our life's savings," Washington said in a statement.