Man pleads guilty in San Diego to conning women out of $1.8M in romance scam

A man who persuaded two elderly women to give him more than $1.8 million after convincing each that they were in a romantic relationship pleaded guilty in San Diego federal court Tuesday to wire fraud and money laundering charges.

Troy Clinton Van Sickle, 55, of Temecula, claimed to be a successful businessman, while he was actually a janitor at a San Diego County preschool with a history of felony convictions for fraud, extortion and other financial crimes.

The first victim was described by prosecutors as "a wealthy divorced woman in Los Angeles," who Van Sickle convinced to give him money "to pursue business deals and investment opportunities."

Instead, the money was used for personal expenses such as car purchases and gambling, as well as giving money to other women.

The second victim, who was from San Diego, was also convinced to give money to Van Sickle, who similarly used it for personal purposes.