A German citizen, Georg Ingenbleek, was sentenced on Apr. 8 to 70 months in prison in Newark federal court for orchestrating a large-scale mail fraud scheme involving fraudulent psychic solicitations, according to U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer.
The case is significant because Ingenbleek’s actions resulted in more than $13 million in losses from victims who were misled by false promises of psychic services and threats of legal action if they did not pay. The sentencing marks the end of a long pursuit after Ingenbleek remained a fugitive for several years before being apprehended abroad.
Ingenbleek, age 59, was indicted in 2020 but evaded authorities until he was located and arrested in Bolzano, Italy, in 2024. He was extradited to the United States in May 2025 and pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Claire C. Cecchi to two counts of mail fraud.
Court documents show that between at least 2011 and 2016, Ingenbleek created mass direct mail campaigns claiming to be from world-renowned psychics offering free services or objects promising great fortune. After victims responded, co-conspirators sent them fraudulent billing notices threatening prosecution unless they paid fees ranging from $20 to $50.
In addition to the prison sentence, Judge Cecchi ordered forfeiture totaling $13,618,921.19 and imposed three years of supervised release following incarceration.
U.S Attorney Frazer credited postal inspectors with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Philadelphia Division; special agents with IRS – Criminal Investigation Newark Field Office; Homeland Security Investigations New York; HSI Rome; and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs for their roles in investigating the case and securing Ingenbleek’s extradition from Italy.
