Oklahoma Woman Laundered $1.5M from Elderly Victims in Online Romance Scam, Authorities Say

An Oklahoma woman has been accused of laundering approximately $1.5 million out of elderly victims in an online romance scam, with one even selling her house so she could send the suspect money, authorities have said.

On Monday, April 7, Christine Joan Echohawk, 53, was arrested “on complaints of unlawful use of criminal proceeds and using a computer to violate state statutes” after she allegedly laundered money from four out-of-state elderly victims between Sept. 30 and Dec. 26, 2024, Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond’s office said in a news release.

“All of the victims are elderly women ranging in age from 64 to 79. They believed they were sending funds to, or for the benefit of, a male subject with whom they thought they were in an online romantic relationship,” the release stated.

One of the victims “sold her house so that she could send $600,000 to the scammer,” the Attorney General’s release said, adding that victims also sent the accused “Apple gift cards, cash and cashiers’ checks,” as well as writing money to accounts owned by Echohawk at MidFirst Bank.

“Drummond’s office received a tip from MidFirst Bank in January of suspected senior-fraud activity after the bank intercepted and held a $120,000 transfer from one of the victims. The Consumer Protection Unit subsequently investigated,” the release stated.

The suspect has been accused of “laundering the illegally obtained funds through various accounts, converting them to cryptocurrency and then sending crypto payments to an unidentified suspect,” the release confirmed.  

Echohawk is being held in the Pawnee County Jail, per online Pawnee County Sheriff’s Office records.

Attorney General Drummond said, “These types of scams that target seniors are especially egregious,” per the news release.

“I applaud the work of my Consumer Protection Unit to fight for these victims and to hold accountable their alleged perpetrator,” Drummond added.

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. 

Echohawk was previously confronted by local law enforcement about suspected criminal activity in January 2024, the Attorney General’s Office post noted. However, she allegedly “continued to launder funds after a short hiatus,” the release said.

The suspect “faces five counts that, together, carry 24 to 62 years in prison and up to $260,000 in fines,” the Attorney General’s Office confirmed.

The Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office and the Pawnee Police Department didn’t immediately respond when contacted by PEOPLE for additional information.