Colorado Woman Sentenced for Handling Millions in Romance Scam Funds

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A 52-year-old Castle Rock, Colorado woman was sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison for her role in a romance scam operation. Lori Ann Kimball admitted to handling nearly $3.5 million in funds stolen from at least 15 victims by a Nigerian national she knew as 'Joe Hart', even after receiving multiple warnings about the illicit nature of the funds.

Why it matters

This case highlights the growing problem of romance scams, which have become increasingly sophisticated and difficult to detect. It also underscores the importance of educating the public about these types of scams and the legal consequences for those who knowingly participate in laundering the ill-gotten gains.

The details

According to court documents, Kimball initially lost a large amount of her own money to 'Joe Hart', a man she met on a dating app who claimed to be working on an offshore oil rig. After sending 'Hart' her own money, Kimball then began receiving funds from at least 15 other victims of the romance scam and shuffling that money, totaling $3,490,556, through a series of bank and cryptocurrency accounts over nearly two years. Prosecutors say Kimball received several warnings about the illicit nature of the funds but deliberately ignored them.

• In early 2022, Kimball met 'Joe Hart' on a dating app following the death of her husband.
• Later in 2022, 'Hart' asked Kimball for financial assistance, and she sent him a 'large amount' of her own money.
• A month after receiving Kimball's money, 'Hart' began forwarding her funds gained from other romance scam victims.
• Kimball shuffled the $3,490,556 in scam funds through various accounts for almost two years.
• Kimball was indicted by a federal grand jury in July 2025 and sentenced on March 20, 2026.

What’s next

The judge ordered Kimball to repay $3,112,990 of the money taken from the scam victims.