Christine Joan Echohawk, 53, of Oklahoma, has been charged with laundering nearly $1.5 million obtained through online romance scams targeting elderly women across the U.S., officials announced.
According to Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, Echohawk was arrested on April 7, 2025. Investigators say she laundered funds from four out-of-state victims between September 30 and December 26, 2024. The victims, women aged 64 to 79, believed they were in romantic relationships with men they met online and were persuaded to send money for various fabricated reasons.
Authorities revealed that one victim went as far as selling her home to send $600,000 to the scammer. Victims also sent Apple gift cards, cash, cashier’s checks, and wired money directly to bank accounts under Echohawk’s name at MidFirst Bank.
Echohawk faces charges including unlawful use of criminal proceeds and using a computer to commit a crime. Attorney General Drummond emphasized the seriousness of targeting vulnerable seniors, commending the efforts of the Consumer Protection Unit for their work in the case.