‘An Expertly Crafted Persona’ — NYC Romance Scammer Sentenced for Stealing $1.8 Million

Ms. Rachel met a man she thought was named Nelson Roth at a restaurant on the Upper East Side. He told her he was an art dealer, in town from London on business. They started talking more, and he asked her to join him for lunch. Their years long relationship would cost Ms. Rachel her money, dignity and emotional well being.

Little did she know, she was not the only one.

Nelson Counne, known by his victims under aliases “Nelson Roth” and “Justin Roth,” landed a prison sentence of up to eight years for stealing $1.8 million from at least five different women after pleading guilty on June 5 to charges of Grand Larceny in the Second Degree and Scheme to Defraud in the First Degree.

Counne claimed tens of thousands of dollars from his alleged girlfriends in a series of investment scams dating back to 2012, prosecutors charged. He presented himself as independently wealthy, and promised to take financial control of the relationship once his business deals went through.

“At first, Counne looks like the perfect gentleman, but under those fancy clothes, all he is but a grifter,” one of Counne’s victims, dubbed “Ms. Rachel” said in a written statement. “A master of disguise, with a perfected game in order to lure me.”

Counne began living with Ms. Rachel in February of 2013, saying his NYC apartment was not yet finished. She began paying for everything, and he promised he would pay her back.

“Nelson Counne used an expertly crafted persona and elaborate web of lies to convince women to hand over their savings,” said Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr. “While the scale of this fraud is remarkable, romance scams are all too common.”

In 2014, a victim identified as “Ms. Gerson” saw a photo of Justin Roth on a dating app. She met the supposed art dealer at a nice Upper East Side restaurant and the two began living together shortly thereafter.

“He asked me if he could use my credit cards,” she said in her statement. “I agreed, because I thought he cared for me. I was very vulnerable.”

This went on for several months, and Ms. Gerson claimed she never really knew where he’d go off to on the weekends. She later discovered he would use her bank account to court other women, whom he also intended to scam.

Ms. Rachel, on the other hand, said Counne suddenly had money about two years into their relationship. He’d stopped living with her, and instead stayed with her on weekends in hotels around NYC and Connecticut—paying for everything.

Everywhere he’d take her, everyone knew him, Ms. Rachel said. He started introducing her as his wife, even though the two were only engaged.

“It was like a fairy tale, and I fell in love,” Ms. Rachel said. “But eventually I found out fairy tales don’t come true.”

All of Counne’s claims turned out to be false. His multiple properties across the globe never existed, prosecutors said and he’s never even owned a passport. The only significant wealth he ever accumulated came from romance scams, and none of the money he collected was ever invested, prosecutors said. Instead, he used it to repay the victims who detected fraud, and while also using it to appear wealthy to new victims.

He was convicted of charges of grand larceny and scheme to defraud in the New York State Supreme Court on June 5.

“At least five women were conned into pouring money into his supposed investment opportunities—while unknowingly helping him to repay previous victims and lure in new ones,” D.A. Bragg said.

Ms. Gerson also said her boyfriend “was treated like a VIP” in Manhattan restaurants. He proposed a market opportunity, asking for $100,000 of her money, but she could only come up with half. She said he promised to take “excellent care” of her once the stock opened.

She eventually split with Counne, but they remained in touch as Ms. Gerson hoped to recoup some money off of him.

“To this day, I’ve never seen one penny of my investment,” she said.

Ms. Rachel severed ties with Counne in 2017 after she found out he was living with another woman.

“Nelson Counne should not only be charged and sentenced with grand larceny, in my opinion he should as well be charged with being a sexual predator, due to identity fraud,” she said. “This excuse of a man has caused emotional damage to me, as a victim, by targeting me sexually through a confusing web of lies.”

“I want you to know, you didn’t break me,” Ms. Gerson wrote. “I still go to fine eateries, and YOU will be rotting in prison!!!”

Bragg encourages the public to contact the D.A.’s office if you or someone you know is a victim of a romance scam. Counne is facing four to eight years in state prison.