‘African prince’ accused of scamming people at IHOP was actually from Ohio, feds say

A man pretending to be an African prince from Ghana solicited people at IHOP, Starbucks and Kroger grocery stores as part of his years-long investment scheme, according to federal authorities.

But the man — who is actually from Dayton, Ohio — was lying when he told prospective investors that he had connections with African mining operations, authorities said.

Now, Daryl Robert Harrison has been sentenced to 20 years in prison on charges of mail and wire fraud, witness tampering and conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, according to a March 15 news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio.

Prosecutors said Harrison was the “brains” of the scheme, in which at least 14 people were tricked into investing with him. Authorities said his stepfather, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, was the “defacto banker.”

The defense attorney representing Harrison, 44, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from McClatchy News on March 16.

Harrison is accused of defrauding at least 14 people out of more than $800,000, according to court records. One of the victims contributed at least $500,000, while another “invested” at least $100,000.

The victims thought their funds were being invested in gold, diamond and chromium mining operations that Harrison — also known as Prince Daryl R. Attipoe and Prophet Daryl R. Attipoe — was associated with, authorities said. Prospective investors were solicited while at IHOP, Starbucks, Kroger, car washes and fitness centers.

Those who invested were told that the investments were secure, they’d see returns of 28 to 33 percent and that they could get their principal amounts back “upon demand,” authorities said.

“(Harrison) provided most investors with written contracts that were confusing at best, and indecipherable at worst,” prosecutors said. “No promised periodic statements or interest statements were ever provided to any investors.”

Between October 2014 and November 2017, Harrison and his stepfather actually deposited the investors’ money into three bank accounts, according to court records.

Harrison used the cash “to fund his extravagant life style, overseas travel expenses, the purchase of luxury automobiles and other miscellaneous expenses related to the operation of his religious street ministry known as the Power House of Prayer,” prosecutors said.

Power House of Prayer, or PHOP, was a street ministry in Dayton, Ohio, in which Harrison said he was a “modern day ‘prophet,’” authorities said.

“During the trial, a number of witnesses testified that the PHOP was a religious cult, similar in many ways to the infamous Jim Jones or David Koresh groups,” according to court records. When Harrison moved PHOP to Colorado in 2019, many female parishioners moved with him.

Many of the investors were also involved with PHOP, authorities said.

Harrison’s stepfather is scheduled to be sentenced on March 22, records show.

This story was originally published March 16, 2023 at 9:09 AM with the headline "‘African prince’ accused of scamming people at IHOP was actually from Ohio, feds say."