A ‘sorcerer’ promised to help find love. Instead, he orchestrated a ‘witchcraft extortion scheme.’

By Timothy Bella May 7 at 4:21 AM

The love ritual began with candles, alcohol, vegetables and photographs, all carefully arranged. Then clients were told to send photos and videos of themselves reciting graphic statements and performing sex acts to a Paraguayan business specializing in witchcraft to finish the magic spell aimed at finding a soul mate.

That’s when a self-described sorcerer started another familiar rite: extortion.

Ariel Boiteux, an Argentine national who masterminded an international scheme that entangled an estimated 200 victims in at least 12 countries, threatened to post the photos and videos of the intimate acts unless his clients paid “large sums of money,” according to authorities, sometimes demanding six-figure payoffs. Boiteux, 31, and associates with his company, Amarres Inmediatos, even posted some explicit content to websites, Facebook and Instagram and forced clients to pay to take down the posts.

But as the alleged warlock of witchcraft extortion learned this week, there were no tricks in his bag of distorted magic that could get him out prison.

The U.S. attorney’s office for the Southern District of California announced Monday that Boiteux was sentenced to two years in federal prison for the crime of foreign transmission of an extortionate threat. He pleaded guilty in December after being extradited from Paraguay to San Diego last July, the Los Angeles Times reported.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, May 6, 2019

Argentine Man Sentenced in Witchcraft Extortion Scheme

Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew J. Galvin

NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – May 6, 2019

SAN DIEGO – Ariel Boiteux, an Argentine national who masterminded an international extortion scheme against hundreds of people seeking romance through witchcraft and magic spells, was sentenced in federal court today to the maximum sentence - two years in prison.

According to court documents, targets of the scheme were directed to record themselves performing sexually explicit rituals to be used in casting love spells. Boiteux instead threatened to post the embarrassing videos on social media unless the clients paid large sums of money.

“This was a despicable scheme that preyed upon people who put their trust in a phony,” said U.S. Attorney Robert Brewer. “This defendant used the vulnerability of the lovelorn to humiliate and extort them, and for that he will pay a price.”

“I commend the dedicated work by our cybercrime experts who worked diligently to bring Boiteux, who dangerously preyed on others for his own financial gain, to justice,” said David Shaw, Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations in San Diego. “This investigation underscores our commitment to keep pace with combatting criminal activity across all borders, including the internet.”

According to his plea agreement, Boiteux and several associates – operating out of Paraguay under the business name Amarres Inmediatos – offered to perform rituals that could improve one’s romantic relationships. Boiteux advertised these services on Facebook, Instagram, and MercadoLibre. The advertised services included casting spells designed to foster romantic relationships.

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