Las Vegas Woman Accused of Drugging and Scamming Older Men from Dating Apps
A Las Vegas woman was arrested in Mexico on Friday after U.S. authorities issued a federal indictment against her for allegedly using dating services to lure men, drugging them, and stealing their money.
According to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada, Aurora Phelps, 43, has been charged with one count each of kidnapping resulting in death and kidnapping, seven counts of wire fraud, three counts each of mail fraud and identity theft, and six counts of bank fraud.
Whether Phelps had a lawyer for the lawsuit was unclear.
At a press conference on Friday, the FBI’s Las Vegas office’s special agent in charge and the U.S. Attorney for the District of Nevada revealed the accusations from a 21-count superseding indictment.
According to federal officials, Phelps allegedly used dating apps to meet mostly older men before setting up meetings, giving them drugs, and gaining access to their financial holdings online while they were unconscious.
Phelps, who resides in Guadalajara and Las Vegas, is accused of doing so on both sides of the border.
One victim, according to special agent in charge Spencer Evans, was drugged, transported across the border in his wheelchair, and later found dead in a hotel room in Mexico City.
According to him, the victim from Mexico City and two other people passed away soon after seeing Phelps. According to him, a fourth victim survived despite being medicated to the point of comatoseness.
“We believe Aurora Phelps deliberately and methodically targeted older men to drug them and steal from them,” Evans stated.
Evans said that between 2019 and late 2022, she stole vehicles and gained access to retirement plans and social security accounts.
According to officials at the news conference, the entire worth of her plan was in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, and if more victims are discovered, it may be even higher. Evans claimed that Phelps spent the funds on luxury items, among other things.
He declared, “This is a romance scam on steroids.”
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Four of the 11 victims, according to officials, form the basis of the federal charge. According to them, two of the four are from Nevada.
In an alert, the FBI stated that officials think there might be more victims and urged anybody who thinks they might have been harmed to come forward.
According to the bulletin, Phelps is accused of targeting a broad spectrum of individuals, including women and younger men. Aurora Flores, Aurora Velasco, and Aurora Alvarez are other identities she has used, according to the FBI.
Phelps, who was born in the United States but holds dual citizenship with Mexico, also lived in Arkansas at one point, according to officials.
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According to federal sources, Phelps is being investigated by Mexican authorities in collaboration with the FBI, which was attempting to repatriate her from Mexico.
If found guilty, she could receive a life term, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.