Serial fortune-teller scammer charged in Montco with bilking $600k from two clients
Gina Marks has previous convictions in Florida and Maryland for stealing money from clients while promising to rid them of evil spirits and curses.
The self-professed psychic promised to protect clients from evil spirits, bad karma, and other supernatural ills, prosecutors said, and, along the way, bilked customers out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The folks at Jenkintown Psychic Visions were fraudsters, authorities said, and from their offices on Old York Road, they stole a combined $613,959 from two clients, according to the affidavit of probable cause for their arrests.
Gina Marks, 52, and Steve Nicklas, 40, have been charged with racketeering, conspiracy, theft, and related crimes in connection with the scheme, which prosecutors said was carried out over the course of two years.
Both Marks and Nicklas have been released on bail, Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin R. Steele said in a statement Wednesday.
His attorney, Lauren Wimmer, said Wednesday that Nicklas denies involvement in the alleged scheme.
“We intend to challenge the accusations vigorously in court, where the facts — not assumptions or headlines — will speak for themselves," Wimmer said. “I urge the public and the media to withhold judgment and respect the presumption of innocence that every person is entitled to under the law.”
There was no indication Marks had hired an attorney.
The conduct outlined by local prosecutors is remarkably similar to earlier fraud schemes involving Marks.
She has previous convictions for fraud in Broward County, Fla., where she stole more than $400,000 from multiple clients over the course of several years, according to court records.
And in 2018, Marks was sentenced to six years in prison in Maryland for defrauding clients of $340,000 while promising to rid them of “curses.”
In that case, she insisted she was innocent, an authentic psychic, and accused prosecutors of pursuing criminal charges out of racism against the Romani people.
In the Montgomery County case, one victim told detectives that Marks, acting as a “spiritual adviser,” preyed on her insecurities, convincing her that she was under the influence of evil and black magic that was threatening her marriage, according to the affidavit of probable cause for Marks’ arrest.
Marks coerced the woman to wire her large sums of money, the affidavit said, and to buy her expensive clothing and jewelry, telling her the items represented “power” and were the medium through which Marks could rid her of the evil in her life.
Along the way, Marks shared personal information with the victim, the affidavit said, building what the woman considered a friendship with her.
Marks promised to return the items to the victim, the document said, but that never happened.
During the scheme, investigators said, Marks introduced Nicklas to the victim as her partner, and directed her to send some of the items and money directly to him.
Another victim of the fraud said she contacted Marks for similar guidance. She said Marks threatened to ruin her life and reputation if she didn’t follow her instructions to send her money and buy her things, including a Chanel purse, the affidavit said.