Bridgette Doreen Evans, who also went by Jolene Travis, told her clients she could remove curses. Specifically, she convinced grieving and heartbroken people that their bad luck was caused by their own money, and that the only fix was to liquidate their assets and hand the proceeds over to her — in gold coins, or cash — so she could “cleanse” the funds and send them back. Reader, she did not send them back.
Evans and her partner, Vinnie John Uwanawich, are accused of running the scheme out of Frisco, Texas, targeting people going through divorce, romantic heartbreak, or the death of a loved one. Prosecutors say they took at least $2.5 million from at least three victims between 2021 and 2024, including one person who lost $2 million alone.
The pair now face conspiracy, wire fraud, and mail fraud charges. A federal prosecutor summed up the operation about as plainly as it deserves: “Ms. Evans preyed upon their needs, convincing victims that she could ‘remove a curse’ and help them find love. In truth her scheme was simply to help herself to their wealth.” One assumes the curse she failed to see coming was her own indictment.
All of this actually happened. The U.S. Department of Justice confirmed it.