The man was Troy David Stratos. He was sentenced to 262 months in federal prison, and a court ordered him to pay Nicole Murphy $10,380,581 for losses other than jewelry. That order does not establish how much restitution he has actually paid.
Who was the man who swindled Nicole Murphy?
He was Troy David Stratos. The court’s restitution order describes how he offered to manage Murphy’s divorce proceeds and real estate, then persuaded her to put assets into the Granite TN Revocable Trust. Stratos told her the funds were invested overseas, but the court record says they were not. It also says he used trust funds for expenses and other purposes. Court restitution order
The court record describes another part of the scheme involving Murphy’s Granite Bay home. Stratos persuaded her to rent luxury vehicles to impress supposed buyers; those buyers did not exist. The order says Stratos used the vehicles and lived in the home for a time. Court restitution order
What happened to Troy Stratos?
Stratos’s federal case involved two schemes. A jury found him guilty on six counts tied to a separate scheme involving purported pre-IPO Facebook shares on May 19, 2015. On August 31, 2016, he pleaded guilty to the remaining 14 counts, including counts arising from the scheme against Murphy. Federal court order
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At a December 12, 2016 sentencing hearing, the court imposed a 262-month prison sentence, at the high end of the 210-to-262-month guideline range. That is nearly 22 years in prison. Court restitution order
Why do some reports say $7 million?
The $7 million figure came from contemporaneous coverage of prosecutors’ allegations, first when Stratos was charged and again during the 2015 trial. It is not the later restitution amount ordered by the court. In December 2011, CBS Los Angeles reported the allegation and quoted U.S. Attorney Ben Wagner saying that fraud victims may entrust money to a fraudster before they recognize or suspect fraud. CBS Los Angeles, December 20, 2011 CBS Sacramento also reported the $7 million allegation during the 2015 trial. CBS Sacramento, 2015
In January 2017, the court ordered Stratos to pay Murphy $10,380,581 for losses aside from jewelry. The amount reflects the later court order, not the earlier charging-stage allegation. The order called for additional briefing about the jewelry, so that portion was not resolved in the cited order. Court restitution order
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Did Nicole Murphy get her money back?
The court order establishes what Stratos was ordered to pay, not how much Murphy has collected. The cited records do not establish the amount of restitution actually paid, and they do not establish the eventual disposition of the jewelry claim. It would therefore be inaccurate to say that Murphy received the full $10,380,581.
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Key dates in the case
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| December 20, 2011 | CBS Los Angeles reported federal charges and prosecutors’ $7 million allegation. CBS Los Angeles |
| May 19, 2015 | A jury found Stratos guilty on six counts tied to the separate Facebook-share scheme. Federal court order |
| August 31, 2016 | Stratos pleaded guilty to the remaining 14 counts, including those arising from the Murphy scheme. Federal court order |
| December 12, 2016 | The court imposed a 262-month sentence. Court restitution order |
| January 19, 2017 | The court ordered $10,380,581 in restitution for Murphy’s losses other than jewelry; the order was filed January 20. Court restitution order |
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