Accused scammer who claimed to be Irish heiress has been extradited to UK to face charges

Woman accused of traveling across US claim to be an Irish heiress and defrauding multiple victims of tens of thousands of dollars has been extradited to the United Kingdom, a U.S. official said Tuesday.

Marianne Smyth is accused of stealing more than $170,000 from victims in Northern Ireland between 2008 and 2010.

An American magistrate judge in Maine reigned in May that there was sufficient evidence to extradite the American, who according to prosecutors is also known as a witch, psychic and girlfriend of Hollywood stars.

A spokesman for the U.S. Department of Justice confirmed the extradition and referred questions to law enforcement officials in Northern Ireland. A lawyer for Smyth did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.

Government agencies abroad have said Smyth stole money she had promised to invest and also arranged to sell a victim a house, but instead took the money. Smyth’s victims in the U.S. included Johnathan Walton, a podcaster who warned others about her scams.

A court in Northern Ireland issued warrants for her arrest earlier this decade. She was arrested in Maine in February.

Smyth drew comparisons with Anna Sorokina con artist who posed as a German heiress to pay for a glamorous lifestyle in New York City, and became the subject of a Netflix series. Sorokin, whose real name is Anna Delvey, was convicted in 2019 of defrauding $275,000 from banks, hotels and posh New Yorkers to fund her lavish lifestyle.