U.S. woman accused of posing as heiress in scam extradited to the U.K. to face fraud charges

A woman accused of traveling across the U.S. claiming to be an Irish heiress and scamming several victims out of tens of thousands of dollars has been extradited to the United Kingdom, a U.S. official said Tuesday.

Marianne Smyth, 54, faces charges of theft and fraud by abuse of position for allegedly stealing more than $170,000 from victims she met through her work as an independent mortgage adviser in Northern Ireland from 2008 to 2010. 

A U.S. magistrate judge in Maine ruled in May that there was sufficient evidence for extradition of Smyth, who accusers say has also fashioned herself as a witch, a psychic and a friend to Hollywood stars.