A California man appeared in court earlier this week to face charges that he stole over $1.5 million from an elderly woman through a romance scam.
Court records say that Troy Clinton Van Sickle, 55, of Temecula – a 10-time convicted felon who worked as a janitor at a San Diego County preschool – targeted a wealthy divorced woman and cultivated what appeared to be a romantic relationship to gain access to her finances. Prosecutors allege that Van Sickle concealed his criminal history, which included convictions for fraud, theft, extortion, and perjury, and instead portrayed himself as a trustworthy and successful businessman.
Van Sickle faces charges of wire fraud, which carries a max penalty of 30 years in prison and a $250,000 fine; money laundering, which carries a max penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine; false writing or document, which carries a max penalty of five years in prison and $250,000 fine; falsification of record in federal investigation, which carries a max penalty of 20 years in prison and $250,000 fine; false statement, which carries a max penalty of five years in prison and $250,000 fine.
After gaining the victim’s confidence, Van Sickle allegedly claimed he was facing financial hardship and needed money from the victim to pursue business deals and investment opportunities. He allegedly promised to repay the funds promptly and share future profits.
But it was all a lie. Van Sickle did not intend to repay the woman. He used her money to enrich himself and others and to pay for personal expenses, including making payments on luxury cars, gambling at casinos, and sending money to other women.
The government also alleges that Van Sickle created a miniature replica car company and provided the woman a fake multi-million dollar contract between the company and Lotus Cars to give the impression that his company was legitimate. The woman sent the contract to her financial advisor and wired $150,000 to Van Sickle to fund the purported agreement. Van Sickle then used the money to purchase a 2022 Ferrari SF90 Stradale worth $650,000.
According to the indictment, Van Sickle was on federal supervision for a prior fraud conviction at the time of the criminal offense. He had been ordered to pay $250,000 in restitution to nine victims of that offense and was required to truthfully and accurately report his financial resources to his probation officer.
To conceal the offense and avoid paying restitution, Van Sickle submitted a false financial packet signed under penalty of perjury to his probation officer that did not include the money he received from the woman, the luxury cars he had purchased and sold, and his gambling winnings and losses.
According to the indictment, upon learning that the Federal Bureau of Investigation had contacted the woman to discuss the money she had wired him, Van Sickle manipulated and exploited her to delete text messages, lie to law enforcement, and sign a false and fraudulent promissory note to make the wired proceeds appear simply as lump-sum loan payable over a 10-year period. Van Sickle also directed the woman to sign a false statement to make it appear as though Van Sickle had already made a $140,000 payment to her through the note. Van Sickle disclosed the woman’s payments to his probation officer, along with the false promissory note and statement, and lied that he had already made a $140,000 payment to the woman.
Between 2022 and 2023, Van Sickle received approximately 20 money transfers from the woman totaling more than $1.5 million. He has not repaid any of the money to date.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick C. Swan and Sarah M. Fix are prosecuting this case. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Internal Revenue Service investigated this case. The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.