Bridgette Doreen Evans, 47, and her husband, Vinnie John Uwanawich, 44, face charges of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, along with four counts each of wire fraud and mail fraud, according to the Department of Justice. The pair made an initial court appearance last week in the Eastern District of Texas.
An indictment filed in the Western District of Washington alleges that Evans posed online as a psychic named “Jolene Travis” and used social media to identify people coping with divorce, isolation, or the death of a loved one.
The Alleged Scheme
From April 2021 through July 2024, prosecutors say, Evans persuaded victims that their personal and romantic troubles stemmed from a financial “curse.” After gathering details about their finances, she allegedly instructed them to liquidate assets and send her the proceeds in cash or gold coins so she could purportedly “cleanse” the funds.
Evans allegedly promised victims she would return their money after purifying it. Instead, prosecutors say, she retained most of the funds and occasionally sent back small amounts to “lull” victims into trusting her.
One victim in Washington state sent more than $2 million to the couple, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
“These perpetrators of ‘fortune-teller fraud’ came into the lives of these victims at a time when their judgement was clouded by emotional loss and feelings of hopelessness,” First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd said. “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, leaving them further devastated.”
Aliases And Prior Convictions
Federal authorities said Evans used several aliases, including Jolene Travis, Joy John, and Joy Paige, because prior psychic fraud convictions in Texas and Florida could have exposed her real identity to potential victims.
Prosecutors also accuse Uwanawich of supporting the alleged fraud by managing bank accounts that received victims’ money, selling gold coins, and reassuring skeptical victims about Evans.
Authorities identified additional victims, including one who sent $86,000 through electronic payments and another who lost $258,000. In the second case, Evans allegedly convinced the victim to open credit cards and take out car loans to buy a Chevrolet Corvette for Evans to settle supposed “karmic debts.”
“The schemes may change, but the greed driving them does not,” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Seattle field office. “The FBI and our partners will follow the money to unravel these scams and ensure the conspirators responsible face the consequences of their actions.”
The case is separate from another recent Frisco fraud prosecution in which LaShonda and Marlon Moore received 40-year federal prison sentences in a $30 million “Blessings In No Time” pyramid scheme, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
If convicted, Evans and Uwanawich each face up to 20 years in prison on each count. The FBI is continuing to investigate and is asking anyone who believes they were targeted by Evans under any alias to file a report at ic3.gov.
