Jaycee Wasso: Florida psychic faces charges for convincing 'cursed' woman to con wealthy husband out of $1M
TAMPA, FLORIDA: A Florida psychic, 25, has been accused of coaching a woman into cheating an 80-year-old businessman out of his money. Defendant Jaycee Wasso reportedly manipulated her client Lin Halfon into stealing money from her wealthy husband.
“Do not question,” Wasso allegedly wrote in the text messages to Lin Helena Halfon, 29, in July 2018 according to Law & Crime. “Just listen to me. That way, we get this done.” Authorities said that Wasso's client tried to process a $1 million cashier’s check for money in a failed attempt that belonged to her then-husband Richard Rappaport. Halfon apparently came under the scanner of Florida law enforcement. It did not take much time for the law enforcement officers to connect the dots and eventually Wasso and another person, John Grancer, 50, were charged in the case.
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Who is Jaycee Wasso?
Jaycee Wasso, a fortune teller, coached a woman named Lin Helena Halfon who conned her husband out of $1 million. According to prosecutors, Wasso persuaded her to hand over what she had stolen. The psychic met Halfon back in 2017.
What charges is Wasso facing?
Wasso is facing charges of fraud, money laundering, and grand theft. Prosecutors have put on an additional six counts of grand theft as her trial approaches.
How did Halfon meet Wasso?
Halfon was working at a mall kiosk in Massachusetts the year before she came across her husband Rappaport. She was reportedly going through a rough phase at that time and came in contact with Wasso, who approached her herself, prosecutor Paul Dontenville Jr said in opening statements on Tuesday, February 28. “I’m Jaycee,” Wasso allegedly said. “What’s your name?” as per Fox13.
Wasso allegedly said she could feel “darkness” from Halfon after she claimed to be very upset. The self-proclaimed psychic told Halfon that she has been a victim of a curse that has been going through generations of Halfon’s family. This reportedly marked the beginning of an emotionally and psychologically manipulative relationship.
Halfon gave Wasso money, hoping that the 25-year-old would use it to break spells and ward off evil spirits. “Lin, the spirits want me to tell you what’s going on,” Wasso allegedly said. “Your mother is going to die. You’re going to lose everything. You’re going to be sent away. You are going into darkness. Darkness is going to possess you.”
“I was scared,” Halfon testified on Tuesday regarding Wasso telling her that the evil spirits could get into her and do bad things to her. But, Halfon also claimed that she did not believe in spirits.
How did Halfon meet her husband Richard Rappaport?
Halfon met Rappaport, who allegedly blindly fell in love with her in the middle of 2018. Dontenville described this as a “very good friendship” that resulted in Rappaport marrying the Israel-born Halfon so she could stay in the United States.
However, the defense attorney portrayed Halfon as the main culprit in the incident and blamed her for deceiving her husband Rappaport for money. He even backed up his allegations by saying that Wasso was younger than Halfon and she had no education, never went to school, and was told she had a “gift,” he said.
The prosecutor told the jurors that multiple pieces of evidence clearly point out to Wasso who kept pushing Halfon for money after the latter expressed her second thoughts about carrying out the act. “It offends me that you want to go against all the work I’ve done,” the psychic allegedly messaged in July 2018. “I know what I’m doing, Lin.”
Other texts allegedly included Wasso in August 2018 asking for Rappaport's name and business "so I can block a person from getting between the two of you.” “Richard Rappaport,” Halfon wrote back. “Panther Medical.”
“Lin, give it your all. Act like he is your soulmate", Wasso allegedly wrote in August 2018. The next month in July 2018, she wrote “Lin, make sure you kiss him today. Be flirty. Look good. Tell him how much he means. Make him dinner." In December 2018, she allegedly wrote, “Lin, yes, kiss him. We need money from him soon. Kiss him on the lips. But not fast. Longer.”
Lin Halfon was slapped with a 13-month jail sentence after she was arrested in Tampa, Florida, for scamming her husband. She took a plea deal last year in January and was deported to Israel after she stole money and jewelry from her 77-year-old husband.