A Florida woman was arrested after she allegedly conned a man out of thousands of dollars during a bogus tarot card reading and “spiritual cleansing.”
According to an arrest report obtained by WTVJ, Carmen Valdez De Miguel, 67, was arrested on Monday and faces charges of organized scheme to defraud, grand theft and resisting an officer without violence.
The alleged con began on March 11, when a man found a flyer on his car for a tarot card reading and called the number, according to the report.
He spoke with a woman, the report read, and agreed to a tarot card reading session for $20.
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Two days later, on March 13, the man went to an apartment and met Valdez De Miguel, who reportedly referred to herself as Maria Rodriguez, the report read.
During the reading, Valdez De Miguel allegedly told the man he needed a “deeper spiritual cleansing procedure” that would cost between $600 and $700.
Trusting her advice, the man agreed to a partial payment and transferred $200 through Zelle, the report said.
He then returned to the apartment and met with Valdez De Miguel again on March 14 for the “spiritual cleansing season” he had pre-paid a portion of, according to the report.
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The report detailed that Valdez De Miguel asked the man during the session about his available bank balance, where he reportedly told her he had $8,000 available.
Following the man’s response, Valdez De Miguel then allegedly asked him to bring the full amount next time and assured him that if she were to use the money in a ritual, it would double, and she would return it the same day.
The man then returned to the apartment with $3,000 in cash on March 19, according to the report, where Valdez De Miguel placed the money in a bag with eggs.
During the ritual, the report stated that the bag was broken, and upon opening it, the man claimed all that was left inside were broken eggs and worms.
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The man told authorities that Valdez De Miguel appeared to be startled by what was in the bag, but when he asked for his money back, she claimed she couldn’t do so “due to her state of mind.”
Valdez De Miguel then allegedly assured the man that his money would be returned the next day.
The report stated that the man had made multiple attempts to contact Valdez De Miguel following the bizarre encounter, but that she had refused to return the money.
“She asserted that the funds were part of a ritual and could not be released until the candles extinguished on their own, despite having previously assured the victim that his money would be returned the same day,” the report said.
On Monday, Valdez De Miguel was taken into custody, where officers gave her the opportunity to return the money, but she denied knowing the man, the report said.
The report said that she had also resisted being taken into custody and used a fake name during the arrest.
Investigators also told WTVJ that they had discovered Valdez De Miguel had three warrants in separate theft cases.
Valdez De Miguel appeared before a judge on Tuesday, who set her bond in the case at $5,500.
“OK, I had a chance to review this very interesting arrest affidavit, which also makes one realize you should never respond to a flyer left on your vehicle for tarot card readings ’cause you don’t know what’s gonna happen, especially when you’re asked to bring $3,000 in cash, put the money in a bag with some eggs,” Judge Mindy Glazer said. “This is bizarre.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the Doral Police Department for comment.
Stepheny Price is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. She covers topics including missing persons, homicides, national crime cases, illegal immigration, and more. Story tips and ideas can be sent to [email protected]
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