Troy Clinton Van Sickle of Temecula has been charged in federal court in San Diego for allegedly defrauding an elderly woman of over $1.5 million through a romance scheme and obstructing a federal investigation into the alleged fraud. Van Sickle, a 10-time convicted felon, appeared in court today to face these charges.
Prosecutors allege that Van Sickle cultivated a romantic relationship with a wealthy divorced woman, concealing his extensive criminal history, which included convictions for fraud, theft, extortion, and perjury. He reportedly portrayed himself as a trustworthy and successful businessman to gain her confidence and access her finances.
After gaining her trust, Van Sickle allegedly claimed financial hardship and sought money from the victim to pursue business deals and investment opportunities, promising prompt repayment and shared future profits. However, he did not intend to repay the funds, instead using the money for personal enrichment, including payments on luxury cars, gambling at casinos, and sending money to other women. In one instance, he allegedly created a fake contract between a miniature replica car company and Lotus Cars, leading the victim to wire $150,000, which Van Sickle then used to purchase a $650,000 Ferrari SF90 Stradale.
At the time of the alleged offenses, Van Sickle was on federal supervision for a prior fraud conviction and was required to truthfully report his financial resources. He allegedly submitted a false financial packet to his probation officer, omitting the money received from the victim, the luxury cars purchased and sold, and his gambling winnings and losses. Upon learning the FBI had contacted the woman, Van Sickle allegedly manipulated her to delete text messages, lie to law enforcement, and sign a false promissory note to make the wired funds appear as a loan.
Between 2022 and 2023, Van Sickle received approximately 20 money transfers from the woman, totaling more than $1.5 million, none of which has been repaid. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick C. Swan and Sarah M. Fix, with investigations by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. Authorities are asking anyone who may have given more than $25,000 to Van Sickle to contact the FBI.