Recalling the Gypsy curse in Stephen King’s novel “Thinner,” a self-professed psychic “raised by parents who quite literally taught her how to con people out of money under the guise of the Gypsy-Romani culture” learned her own fate this week in a $4 million conspiracy.
Gina Rita Russell, 35, was sentenced on Thursday to 10 years and five months in prison and ordered to pay more than $4.2 million in restitution, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced in a news release.
“Russell has proven herself to be a complete menace to society, a true danger to any person unfortunate enough to believe that she has actual psychic ability,” prosecutors said in their sentencing memo, arguing for a 151-month sentence or more than 12 ½ years behind bars. “Russell is a master manipulator who has shown no genuine remorse for her horrific criminal conduct, no respect for the rule of law, and no intention of behaving in a law-abiding manner.”
She was indicted in 2018 on a slew of charges, including conspiracy, extortion, fraud, money laundering, and tampering with a witness. Also indicted were Russell’s ex-common-law husband, his two brothers and the brothers’ parents, whom authorities called the “Russell-Evans-Kaslov family.” The others pleaded guilty and have been sentenced.
Prosecutors said they did it for expensive jewelry, cars, luxury vacations, and fine dining — a lifestyle they craved but did not earn.
“Russell and members of the Evans/Kaslov family have a penchant for the finer things in life but are averse to engaging in honest work, choosing to callously use people instead,” prosecutors said in their memo.
Court documents outline the $4 million caper and its origins, which date back to October 2009, when Russell met a woman in Manhattan and performed a psychic reading on her. Russell told the woman that bad things would happen to her or her family if money and items were not provided.
At one point, Russell had the woman beat herself to drive “the demons out which would make her feel better,” court documents said.
Hellbound and Down 