SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — A Temecula man accused of orchestrating a romance fraud scheme that targeted an elderly woman out of more than $1.5 million appeared in federal court Thursday, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

The Nexstar Media video above explains how to avoid being scammed

Prosecutors say 10-time convicted felon Troy Clinton Van Sickle manipulated the victim into believing the two were in a romantic relationship before convincing her to send him large sums of money between 2022 and 2023.

Federal authorities allege Van Sickle concealed a lengthy criminal history that included convictions for fraud, theft, extortion and perjury, instead presenting himself as a successful businessman. Investigators say he told the woman he needed financial help for business ventures and investment opportunities, promising to quickly repay the money and share future profits.

According to the indictment, those promises were false.

Prosecutors say Van Sickle used the victim’s money for personal expenses, including payments to luxury vehicles, gambling at casinos and sending money to other women.

Court documents allege Van Sickle created a miniature replica car company and showed the elderly woman a fake multi-million-dollar contract involving Lotus Cars to make the business appear legitimate. Authorities say the woman later wired him $150,000 tied to the purported agreement.

Man accused of attacking veteran outside of SoCal ‘Trump House’ appears in court

Investigators allege Van Sickle then used the money to purchase a 2022 Ferrari SF90 Stradale worth $650,000.

At the time of the alleged scheme, prosecutors say Van Sickle was already on federal supervision for a prior fraud conviction and owed $250,000 in restitution to previous victims. Authorities allege he failed to disclose the victim’s payments, luxury care transactions and gambling winnings to his probation officer in financial documents signed under penalty of perjury.

Federal prosecutors also accuse Van Sickle of attempting to obstruct the investigation after learning the FBI had contacted the victim. According to the indictment, he persuaded the woman to delete text messages, lie to investigators and sign false financial documents to make the payments appear to be legitimate loans.

Authorities say Van Sickle received about 20 money transfers totaling more than $1.5 million and had not repaid any of the funds.

The FBI believes there may be additional victims connected to the alleged scheme. Anyone who may have given more the $25,000 to Van Sickle is encouraged to contact the FBI at 858-320-1800.

Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News.