Disappointment Lingers as Con Artist Receives Short Sentence in Northern Ireland
A US podcaster and author who played a crucial role in bringing to justice a notorious con artist known as the "Queen of the Con" expressed disappointment at her relatively short sentence. Marianne "Mair" Smyth, 56, was convicted of defrauding four mortgage advice customers out of more than $155,000 in Northern Ireland.
Johnathan Walton, who chronicled his own victimization by Smyth and exposed her deceitful tactics on his podcast, Queen of the Con: The Irish Heiress, felt let down by the court's lenient sentence. "This is a woman who deserves to live the rest of her days in confinement – away from the public and away from the opportunity to scam anyone ever again," Walton said in a statement.
Smyth was found guilty of swindling her victims, including a Northern Irish man who paid her £72,570 for a buy-to-let house that never existed. She also impersonated actress Jennifer Aniston to bilk a producer out of millions of dollars. Walton's reporting led police to Smyth's whereabouts in Maine, where she was arrested on February 23, 2024.
The court's decision to award Smyth only four years in prison has raised questions about the severity of her punishment. Walton believes that many people remain unaware of Smyth's true nature and the devastating impact she can have on innocent victims. "I fear many people lack the complete and accurate picture of just who [she] really is and the devastation she is capable of wreaking on unsuspecting people," he said.
Smyth was flown to Northern Ireland from the US in July 2024, where she was tried and convicted of her crimes. Her lawyer's statement claimed that the sentence would "send a clear message" about the consequences for those involved in scamming hard-working people. However, Walton's reaction suggests that many still feel that Smyth received an inadequate punishment for her heinous crimes.
A US podcaster and author who played a crucial role in bringing to justice a notorious con artist known as the "Queen of the Con" expressed disappointment at her relatively short sentence. Marianne "Mair" Smyth, 56, was convicted of defrauding four mortgage advice customers out of more than $155,000 in Northern Ireland.
Johnathan Walton, who chronicled his own victimization by Smyth and exposed her deceitful tactics on his podcast, Queen of the Con: The Irish Heiress, felt let down by the court's lenient sentence. "This is a woman who deserves to live the rest of her days in confinement – away from the public and away from the opportunity to scam anyone ever again," Walton said in a statement.
Smyth was found guilty of swindling her victims, including a Northern Irish man who paid her £72,570 for a buy-to-let house that never existed. She also impersonated actress Jennifer Aniston to bilk a producer out of millions of dollars. Walton's reporting led police to Smyth's whereabouts in Maine, where she was arrested on February 23, 2024.
The court's decision to award Smyth only four years in prison has raised questions about the severity of her punishment. Walton believes that many people remain unaware of Smyth's true nature and the devastating impact she can have on innocent victims. "I fear many people lack the complete and accurate picture of just who [she] really is and the devastation she is capable of wreaking on unsuspecting people," he said.
Smyth was flown to Northern Ireland from the US in July 2024, where she was tried and convicted of her crimes. Her lawyer's statement claimed that the sentence would "send a clear message" about the consequences for those involved in scamming hard-working people. However, Walton's reaction suggests that many still feel that Smyth received an inadequate punishment for her heinous crimes.
. Im all for rehabilitation but this woman clearly showed no remorse and was just looking to get back on the streets ASAP 
. Id rather see her locked up longer, especially since she was able to bilk innocent ppl out of so much cash. Its not like she had a heart attack or anything while she was in custody, just give us some peace of mind that she cant hurt anyone else for a bit more 
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and hurt so many lives and yet the judge gives her a slap on the wrist 
it's just not fair at all and i'm not surprised johnathan walton is upset about it he exposed this con artist on his podcast and brought her to justice and now she's getting away with a tiny sentence 
i dont think its fair to the victims who lost so much i feel bad for johnathan walton who spent all that time investigatin her and exposin her scams on his podcast. at least he got to be the hero tho 
anyway, clearly more work needs to be done to hold these con artists accountable 
. Four years in prison seems like a joke considering all the people she scammed out of their hard-earned cash. I mean, can you imagine how many innocent folks are out there who could've been helped with that kind of money? It's just not fair to those victims who have to live with the emotional fallout of being scammed by someone as cunning and deceitful as this woman.
. Newsflash: giving someone four years in prison isn't exactly going to deter others from trying to pull off similar scams. I wish Johnathan Walton had stuck around for sentencing and told them how it really feels 
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and johnathan walton's right on point - people need to know about her true nature before they become victims too 
i mean, whats next? are we gonna let her out early cuz she's been good or something? 
she got off easy, imo. i cant believe johnathan walton is even surprised 
. its not just about the money, its about the trust and dignity she ruined 
. prison shd be a lot harsher imo 
. I mean, I know the lawyer said it would "send a clear message" but to me, that just comes across as like, we're gonna let her off easy so everyone else knows better next time 
. Give me a break! 
I swear, I could drink the whole pot by myself. And don't even get me started on their pastries... I had this amazing strawberry tart that just melted in my mouth. Anyway, back to Smyth... yeah, it's crazy how some people can talk the talk but walk the walk all wrong, you know? Like, she totally played her victims and got away with it for so long. And now she gets a slap on the wrist compared to what I think she deserves. Four years is like, a blink of an eye in prison terms, especially when you're talking about someone who's already proven themselves to be a master manipulator...
. We need to raise awareness about these scammers and make sure they're held accountable 
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. Four years isn't even a harsh sentence for someone who's already done their community service 
. Johnathan Walton is just being dramatic about it 
. Let's not forget that Smyth has taken responsibility for her actions and is willing to make amends 
. Four years in prison is a joke, especially considering what she's done #ScamArtistNoMore. I'm glad Walton's reporting helped bring her to justice, but the sentence should've been harsher #JusticeForVictims. Smyth deserves to rot for what she's done, not get a slap on the wrist #ConArtistDeservesToPay. The public needs to know more about people like Smyth and how they operate, so we can protect ourselves better 
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anyway back to this con artist stuff, can you believe she thought impersonating Jennifer Aniston would fool people? like who does that? I need to try that at my next networking event 
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. I think we need to do a better job of educating people about these types of scams so they can protect themselves. It's all too easy for someone like Smyth to take advantage of good people who just want to make a living 
and i realized how much i love the smell of fresh basil in the kitchen it brings back memories of summertime and BBQs with friends 
. I mean, come on! This woman played on people's trust, pretended to be Jennifer Aniston, and stole from innocent victims... that's some serious karma right there 
. Maybe this sentence is an opportunity for us to focus on prevention and support for those who've been affected by Smyth's actions 
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. I wish Johnathan Walton could've gotten more closure from this sentence 
. It's like, she's still free to roam around and scam people again... that's just not right