A 39-year-old man has been arrested and charged with defrauding multiple victims he met on dating platforms out of more than $2 million, federal authorities announced Thursday.
Christopher Earl Lloyd was taken into custody and faces 13 counts of wire fraud and one count of engaging in a monetary transaction involving criminally derived property.
According to the indictment, between April 2021 and February 2024, Lloyd allegedly posed as a wealthy investor, financial manager, and vice president of a company called Planet 13 Holdings to build romantic relationships with victims he met on dating apps including Tinder, Hinge, and Bumble. Prosecutors say those claims were false.
Lloyd is accused of convincing victims to transfer large sums of money under the guise of investment opportunities, promising high returns and the option to cancel at any time. He allegedly drafted fake contracts and had victims sign them. The transferred funds, which ranged from $15,500 to nearly $200,000 per victim, were used for his personal expenses, including the purchase of a vehicle.
The indictment identifies five victims who were misled into believing they were entering legitimate financial partnerships.
If convicted, Lloyd faces up to 20 years in federal prison for each count of wire fraud and up to 10 years for the monetary transaction charge.
