Another New York scammer is headed for prison. Nelson Counne — dubbed “the worst boyfriend on the Upper East Side” by The New Yorker — has been sentenced to four-to-eight years in state prison for swindling women out of $1.8 million through a series of romance scams, according to a press release from the Manhattan DA.
The New Yorker reported in 2022 that Counne had been scamming women since at least 1992, initially charming them by taking them to nice restaurants and giving off the appearance of wealth, then convincing them to lend him money for mysterious deals and investments. “Nelson Counne used an expertly crafted persona and elaborate web of lies to convince women to hand over their savings,” Manhattan district attorney Alvin L. Bragg said in the statement. “At least five women were conned into pouring money into his supposed investment opportunities — while unknowingly helping him to repay previous victims and lure in new ones.” Although the origins of his scamming predated dating apps, he apparently later began using them to meet women. According to The New Yorker, one of his victims met him Our Time, a dating site for older folks.
Per the press release, Counne — who was also known as Nelson Roth or Justin Roth — generally presented himself as a retired art dealer and investor with multiple homes internationally. In reality, he does not have a passport and has never traveled outside the country, and the only money in his accounts belonged to the women he had scammed.
In a victim-impact statement, one of his victims, identified as Ms. Gerson, wrote, “I want you to know, you didn’t break me. I still go to fine eateries, and you will be rotting in prison.” Another, identified as Rachel, also shared a statement. “He was very charming, handsome, and had a wonderful sense of humor,” she wrote. “In every restaurant, everyone knew him. It was like a fairy tale, and I fell in love. But eventually I found out fairy tales don’t come true.”
The New York Post reports that Counne apologized to his victims at Tuesday’s sentencing hearing. “Sorry for the pain and discomfort that I’ve caused these other women here,” he said. “I take full responsibility. Look, it was a misadventure, and it was poorly done and wrongly done. And I’m willing to take full responsibility for my actions.”
