Jaycee Wasso criminal trial starts next week

TAMPA, Fla. - Even with her psychic powers, Jaycee Wasso probably did not see a criminal trial in her future, but that’s exactly what’s happening next week.

On Tuesday, Wasso, who's accused of manipulating her client Lin Halfon into stealing money from her wealthy husband, was in a Tampa courtroom. During a pretrial hearing, statewide prosecutor Michael Casillo told the court he is ready to go to trial Monday and urged the judge to keep things moving along.

"We request that we select a jury and go right into opening statements and go until 6 o’clock every day," requested Castillo.

Wasso's attorney didn't object to the speedy pace for a trial that is expected to last the entire week. 

To unravel this twisted tale of fraud and the fortune-teller, you must begin with young bride Lin Halfon.

Two years ago, Halfon went to jail for stealing a million dollars from her rich -- and older -- husband, Tampa businessman Richard Rappaport. At the time of her arrest, the couple’s 50-year age difference had some calling her a gold digger. But had a surprising explanation for detectives on her motive for stealing her husband's money.

Halfon blamed psychic, Jaycee Wasso. Halfon’s mother had been ill at the time. She said Wasso used that to manipulate her, convincing her that the money would be used to ward off evil spirits and break spells. She told investigators Wasso convinced her to write a series of checks – money that came from Rappaport’s account, then duped Halfon into cashing them.

Lin Halfon during trial

Halfon says the first attempt to cash them at an Amscot in Tampa failed. She was turned away twice, and an employee who grew suspicious alerted the police, triggering an investigation. A state-wide prosecutor discovered evidence backing up Halfon's story and in August 2020, the psychic, Wasso was arrested. She is now facing several charges including, organized fraud and grand theft. 

As the statewide prosecutor continued looking in this case, he discovered several others had a role in the scam, including Joseph Lopresti, the owner of a New Jersey check cashing store where prosecutors say three checks totaling a million dollars were cashed. They said the money was given to a third party, identified as John Grancer.  

Grancer was arrested on grand theft charges. In July 2022, he agreed to plead guilty in exchange for his cooperation with prosecutors. He will be sentenced after the terms of his agreement are met.

For his involvement in the crime, Lopresti decided to cut a deal with prosecutors and help them with their case against Wasso. As part of Lopresti's agreement, prosecutors dropped three felony charges and reduced one charge to conspiracy to commit grand theft, in exchange for his full cooperation and possible testimony against Wasso.

Lopresti originally faced a maximum of 109 years in prison, but under this sweetheart deal, the maximum he will face is up to five years behind bars. Lopresti also agreed to pay restitution to the victim of one million dollars. Tampa judge Michael Williams accepted the deal and agreed with a request by Lopresti’s attorney to delay the formal sentencing until all the other defendant’s cases are resolved.

Meanwhile, Glenn Lansky, the attorney for the psychic Jaycee Wasso, says his client is taking the fall for the real crooks, her ex-husband, Joey Evans, and his father, John Evans. Lansky says they’re the ones who recruited John Grancer to get the checks cashed at Lopresti’s New Jersey store. He says Grancer delivered the money to the Evans, not Wasso. John and Joey Evans were indicted by a grand jury in September 2022. Both men face conspiracy to commit grand theft and three counts of grand theft from a person 65 years old or older. 

Now, Joey Evans and his father could be called to testify against Wasso, but the state's star witness is expected to be Lin Halfon.