An Irvine man pleaded guilty Oct. 17 to federal charges for defrauding at least $250,000 from nearly 20 former romantic partners and others and using their personal information to obtain credit.
Ze'Shawn Stanley Campbell, 35, entered his plea to one federal count each of wire fraud and unlawful monetary transactions, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Campbell, who in recent years had lived in several cities in Los Angeles and Orange counties, will face up to 30 years in federal prison at sentencing on Jan. 9, prosecutors noted.
Over the course of six years, Campbell defrauded 19 victims—including 10 individuals and nine companies—by lying about his wealth, his ownership of various businesses, and his success in investing money, according to the indictment filed in Los Angeles federal court.
He also lied about his service as a Navy SEAL in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, according to the indictment.
After convincing romantic partners and others that he was wealthy, reliable, and successful, Campbell asked for money, some of it for loans he claimed he would use to support his businesses and to pay medical bills, according to court documents. In some cases, Campbell obtained money from victims with false claims he would invest their funds.
According to court documents, the losses that Campbell caused ranged from $250,000 to $1.5 million.
Prosecutors said Campbell used the funds to support his lifestyle, which included the purchase of luxury items. When some of his victims refused to give or stopped handing over money, he applied for loans and credit cards in their names without their knowledge and then failed to pay off those loans and credit card balances.
Campbell was taken into custody in March 2021 at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport after arriving on an international flight. He was transported to Los Angeles to face trial.
