TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A Florida man who pretended to be a surgeon to meet women on dating sites and steal their money was indicted on federal charges last week, prosecutors said.
Brian Brainard Wedgeworth, formerly of Tallahassee, is said to have swindled money from at least 21 people in Florida and other states.
According to the indictment, Wedgeworth met his victims on dating apps such as Bumble, Plenty of Fish and Christian Mingle. He claimed to be a physician and surgeon, who had attended and worked at prestigious universities and hospitals.
He also said he was a member of the fraternity Kappa Alpha Psi. Many of his victims were in sororities, and would have been familiar with the fraternity, prosecutors said.
The women gave Wedgeworth their banking and credit card information after he promised to help them pay off their debts, the indictment claims …
(WFLA coverage continues below)
Brian Brainard Wedgeworth’s online claims:
- “Brian Brainard Wedgeworth, Harvard PhD qualified biochemist”
- “Brian Brainard Wedgeworth currently hold a B.S. in Biology and a M.S. in Chemistry both from The University of Pennsylvania.”
- “Brian Wedgeworth on Pearltree mentions that he is a trained doctor who has managed to secure an MD degree from the largest and popular academic institutions to be found in the country. This is the Harvard University. Other than his MD, he is also known to have a BS, MS, and a Ph.D. degree. He has obtained them in the field of science. Hence, he is aware of the steps you need to take for becoming a scientist.”
- About Brian Brainard Wedgeworth on Google Sites, one gets to see that Brian obtained his B.S. in Biology from the University of Pennsylvania. After that he did his M.S. from the University of Pennsylvania in Chemistry. Apart from that Brian also holds a M.D degree from the Harvard School. The list of achievements of this renowned scientist is just endless. He holds a doctorate degree in biochemistry from the Duke University.
(WFLA coverage continues) … Wedgeworth would then pay off the debts using bank accounts that were previously closed and had insufficient funds, and the women were notified that their debts had been paid in full, when they were not.
Prosecutors said Wedgeworth fraudulently added himself as an authorized cardholder to some accounts and would increase his victims’ credit card limits or obtain lines of credit and cash advances in their name.
With their money, he would buy tickets to sporting events and Rolex watches … READ MORE.
“Over the years, women have accused him of using dating sites to try and con them. They said he claims to be a doctor and says he wants to spend money on them or pay their bills.” – ACTION NEWS JAX
