PIMA COUNTY, Ariz. — A California resident has been sentenced to four years in an Arizona prison for his involvement in a romance scam that stole nearly $400,000 from two Arizona women.
Donald Huegel has been convicted of fraud, theft and money laundering after he helped funnel money from two elderly women to his co-conspirators in Africa, according to the Arizona Attorney General's Office.
The victims had responded to fake online dating profiles run by someone who would ask for financial assistance. If the woman declined to help, other participants in the scam would contact her and claim that her identity had been placed on the "Dark Web." The woman would then send money to have her identity cleared.
Huegel participated in stealing nearly $400,000 from the victims in Arizona. A jury convicted him of the offenses.
Huegel will be placed on probation for three years after he is released from prison.
Anyone who thinks they've fallen victim to fraud in Arizona can file a complaint with the state attorney general's office here.
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What is the Valley?:
“The Valley” is what locals call the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. It is considered the largest metropolitan area in the Southwest.
The Valley is made up of various major cities other than Phoenix, including:
- Mesa
- Chandler
- Scottsdale
- Tempe
- Glendale
- Surprise
- Peoria
- Gilbert
- El Mirage
- Avondale
- Litchfield Park
- Goodyear
- Buckeye
Whether a city is in the “East Valley” or “West Valley” depends on where it is in relation to Phoenix.
The cities of the Valley have a combined population of 4,845,832 people, according to the 2020 United States Census. This makes it the 11th largest metropolitan area in the country right behind the Boston and Atlanta areas.
How big is Maricopa County?
Maricopa County is the United States’ 4th largest county in terms of population with 4,485,414 people, according to the 2020 Census.
The county contains around 63% of Arizona’s population and is 9,224 square miles. That makes the county larger than seven U.S. states (Rhode Island, Delaware, Connecticut, Hawaii, New Jersey, Massachusetts and New Hampshire).
One of the largest park systems in the nation is also located in Maricopa County. The county has an estimated 120,000 acres of open space parks that includes hundreds of miles of trails, nature centers and campgrounds.
The county’s seat is located in Phoenix, which is also the state capital and the census-designated 5th most populous city in the United States.
The county was named after the Maricopa, or Piipaash, Native American Tribe.
