He’ll soon be the “Worst Boyfriend” in state prison.
Two women who had tens of thousands of dollars swiped by smooth-talking scammer Nelson Counne – dubbed the “Worst Boyfriend on the Upper East Side” – ripped the rogue Romeo in court Tuesday as a judge sentenced him to up to eight years behind bars.
“At first glance he’s a perfect gentleman, but under those fancy clothes, he’s nothing but a grifter, a master of disguise,” seethed one of Counne’s victims, who identified herself only as “Ms. Rachel,” in a statement read aloud by a prosecutor at the 71-year-old conman’s sentencing hearing in Manhattan court.
Another victim, “Ms. Gerson,” said she’d have the last laugh against the man she’d believed to be a dapper art dealer and Upper East Side restaurant VIP named “Justin Roth” – who took $50,000 of her money for a purported “stock” investment that did not exist.
“I want you to know, you didn’t break me. I still go to fine eateries, and you will be rotting in prison!” Ms. Gerson wrote in her victim-impact statement, also read aloud by prosecutor Raymond Costello.
Counne pleaded guilty earlier this month to second-degree grand larceny and other crimes for luring five Manhattan women he met online into pouring $1.8 million of their savings into phony investment scams.
“Nelson Counne used an expertly crafted persona and elaborate web of lies to convince women to hand over their savings,” Manhattan District Attorney Bragg said in a statement.
“At least five women were conned into pouring money into his supposed investment opportunities – while unknowingly helping him to repay previous victims and lure in new ones. While the scale of this fraud is remarkable, romance scams are all too common,” Bragg said — as he urged potential other victims still out there to step forward.
The terms of Counne’s sentence, which was handed down by Justice Althea Drysdale, call for him to serve at least four years and no more than eight years in prison.