Daryl Robert Harrison, a man from Ohio, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for defrauding more than a dozen victims out of over $800,000 by pretending to be a Ghanaian prince. Harrison, who went by fake names Prince Daryl R.Attipoe and Prophet Daryl R. Attipoe, was found guilty of mail and wire fraud, conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, and witness tampering in September.
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Prosecutors revealed that Harrison stole money from people who believed they were investing in African mining and trucking companies over several years.
He falsely claimed to have connections to those companies and convinced his victims that he was a prince from Ghana. Several of Harrison’s victims were congregants of the Power House of Prayer Ministries, where Harrison and his stepfather claimed they were ministers.
Prosecutors also found that Harrison and his stepfather used the investment money for personal expenses, including renting a house in Colorado and purchasing luxury cars. District Judge Michael J. Newman sentenced Harrison to the maximum allowed under the law, stating that each of the defendant’s fraud crimes were committed in a cold, calculated, and premeditated fashion.
Prosecutors described Harrison as a sociopath who lacked empathy or sympathy for his victims and intimidated and threatened them to establish and maintain control over them. Harrison had requested a much lower sentence and presented supportive letters written by parishioners and family members.
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His defense attorney also noted that Harrison’s wife was battling stage IV cancer while taking care of their six children. Harrison’s stepfather, Robert Shelly Harrison, Jr., pleaded guilty to one felony charge in December and will be sentenced later this month.
