Anne Hathaway’s Ex-Boyfriend Indicted In Investment Fraud Scheme

Raffaello Follieri, recently-dumped longtime beau of Anne (Agent 99) Hathaway, has been charged with with one count of conspiracy, six counts of wire fraud, and five counts of money laundering in connection with a real estate investment scheme he operated from 2005 to 2007. The DOJ press release (.pdf) alleges that Follieri solicited investors by claiming that he had close connections with the Vatican that enabled him to purchase unwanted Catholic Church properties in the US at a substantial discount, but that in reality he only had limited Vatican connections and no such authority. He allegedly converted investor funds for his personal use, including a $37,000-a-month lease on his Manhattan apartment. Follieri made an initial appearance on Tuesday before US Magistrate Judge Henry Pitman in Manhattan; he did not enter a plea (Reuters).