Aurora Phelps, a 43-year-old woman from Las Vegas, was arrested in Mexico for allegedly drugging and attempting to steal millions from older men met on dating sites, linked to at least three deaths. Charged with kidnapping resulting in death, wire fraud, and identity theft, her scheme involved luring victims to Mexico after drugging them. The FBI indicated ongoing investigations with hopes of identifying more victims, having already connected her to at least ten. Phelps faces life imprisonment if convicted and is currently in custody in Mexico, potentially contesting extradition.
A 43-year-old woman from Las Vegas has been apprehended in Mexico, accused of enticing at least four older men through dating websites, drugging them, and attempting to swindle millions from them in a malicious scheme, as reported by authorities on Friday.
Aurora Phelps, the accused, faces charges of kidnapping resulting in death in connection with this plot, which the F.B.I. asserts has resulted in at least three fatalities.
According to Spencer L. Evans, the leading F.B.I. agent based in Las Vegas, the investigation is “ongoing” and Ms. Phelps may confront additional charges in both the United States and Mexico.
In a striking incident, Ms. Phelps reportedly drugged a man she met online in Las Vegas, transported him to Mexico City, and used his credit card to book a hotel room where he ultimately died, as outlined in a 21-count indictment released this month.
Mr. Evans noted during a Friday interview that Ms. Phelps wheeled the man, who was “zonked out of his mind” due to drugs, across the U.S.-Mexico border at a pedestrian crossing.
Authorities stated that she took her daughter along on the journey to Mexico City in November 2022. Just one day after connecting with the man on an online dating platform, she had drugged him during lunch in Las Vegas, as the indictment filed in federal court in Nevada reveals.
Mr. Evans characterized Ms. Phelps’ actions as having stolen hundreds of thousands of dollars in a “romance scam on steroids.”
“It’s likely one of the worst cases we’ve seen in recent times,” Mr. Evans remarked. “But if it weren’t for engaging with Phelps, all of these individuals would still be alive.”
Ms. Phelps executed her scheme from at least July 2021 through December 2022, seizing the tech devices and bank cards of her victims, as indicated in the indictment.
In one incident, she used a victim’s bank account to purchase a gold coin just days after the victim was found deceased in the bathroom of his home in Guadalajara, Mexico, according to court documents.
In another case, she sold approximately $3.3 million in Apple stock belonging to a different victim and attempted, albeit unsuccessfully, to steal more than $3 million from his E-Trade account after drugging him, as detailed in the indictment.
Court documents reveal that she had also taken Social Security payments and a BMW from another victim after they met at a Hard Rock hotel in Guadalajara.
The four victims referenced in the indictment were reportedly in their 60s or 70s, and one man who survived emerged from a five-day coma after being heavily drugged, Mr. Evans stated.
Ms. Phelps faces several charges including one count each of kidnapping and kidnapping resulting in death, seven counts of wire fraud, three counts of mail fraud, six counts of bank fraud, and three counts of identity theft.
Currently held in custody in Mexico, Ms. Phelps could potentially receive a life sentence if convicted, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Las Vegas.
Mexican authorities confirmed her arrest, though they did not disclose the exact timing of her custody.
Efforts to reach Ms. Phelps for comment on Friday were unsuccessful, and it remains unclear if she has legal representation. Prosecutors indicated in court documents this month that she has been presented with an extradition warrant and “may challenge her extradition.”
Although the indictment details four victims, prosecutors noted in a request to unseal the indictment on February 10 that “the government believes there are additional victims who need to be identified.”
Ms. Phelps, a dual citizen of the U.S. and Mexico originally from the United States, has resided in Nevada, Arkansas, and Guadalajara, as stated by the F.B.I.
Mr. Evans noted that the F.B.I. has identified at least 10 victims, including one from Arkansas. The victims’ identities have not been disclosed.
Following a two-year investigation initiated by a missing-person report, Ms. Phelps was indicted by the F.B.I., according to Mr. Evans.
“We’re still gathering additional evidence,” he added, expressing hope that someone reading the news or watching television might be prompted to remember a missing relative, such as an uncle, father, or grandfather.