'Psychic' convinced Tampa woman to con husband out of $1M, prosecutors say
TAMPA, Fla. - The headlines called her a gold digger.
Lin Halfon spent 13 months in jail for stealing a million dollars from her husband, Tampa businessman Richard Rappaport. Last January she took a plea deal and was deported to Israel.
Rappaport was 50 years older than Halfon when they tied the knot. But that wasn't the only secret Halfon was keeping.
Halfon's attorney, Todd Foster says his client was under the spell of a psychic named Jaycee Wasso, who appeared for a Hillsborough County court via video Tuesday.
Jaycee Wasso
Prosecutors say the self-proclaimed psychic was actually behind Halfon’s con job on her husband.
Wasso pushed Halfon to steal money and jewelry from Rappaport, and then give it to her, according to prosecutors.
Previous coverage: Woman deported after psychic told her to take husband's money
The flashy headlines called her a gold digger. 78-year-old Tampa businessman Richard Rappaport was 50 years older than Halfon when the two secretly tied the knot, but what no one knew was their marriage was a bit crowded, with a psychic apparently behind the scenes, pulling Halfon's strings.
Tampa Bay true crime files: Woman allegedly duped by psychic to extort husband's money
Now she faces charges of fraud, money laundering, and grand theft, but as her trial approaches, prosecutors have added six more counts of grand theft and handed over 800 pages of discovery to the court.
Wasso's defense attorney, Glen Lansky says prosecutors are stacking the deck against his client.
"The state refuses to make an offer on this case. They will not make any offer at all, within plea negotiations. So my hands are tied, so I’m forced to go to trial and my client is forced to sit in jail for two months before we get another trial judge," he argued in frustration.
Previous coverage: Lawyers say supposed psychic convinced woman to launder money
A wife is in jail, accused of trying to steal her husband's money, but pages of text messages between Lin Halfon and an unidentified person show she may have been under the influence of a supposed psychic who warned darkness was going to possess Halfon.
Lansky went on to suggest the state prosecutor may be playing favorites.
"The fact that the co-defendant in this case [Halfon] got time served and a slap on the wrist and has admitted during a [deposition] of lying over 50 times," argued Lansky.
The Tampa judge pushed the trial date back to give the defense more time to prepare. Wasso may be in front of a jury by this summer.