An alleged serial fraudster who left his own mother homeless and fleeced lovers out of millions of dollars using fake dating profiles has been arrested in the US.
Paul Carter was taken into custody at his Watervliet home in upstate New York on April 7 and charged with lying on his 2018 US visa application about his criminal history and previous aliases.
The 55-year-old was arrested by federal agents after an investigation by Department of Homeland Security investigators.
The former Melbourne tradesman dubbed the ‘Casanova Conman’ now faces up to 10 years in US federal prison and a possible $250,000 fine.
There is also the chance he may be deported to Australia where he could face a litany of fraud charges and accusations of rape and threats to kill.
Paul Carter, 55, (pictured with former fiancée Katherine) was taken into custody at his Watervliet home in upstate New York on April 7 and charged with lying on his 2018 US visa application about his criminal history and previous aliases.
The former Melbourne tradesman dubbed the ‘Casanova Conman’ now faces up to 10 years in a US prison and a possible $250,000 fine
Carter denied the allegations but Victoria Police said he would be arrested if he ever set foot on Australian soil.
The father of four, who has also gone by the names Paul Cristallo and Paul Hamilton, allegedly used fake dating profiles to con love-struck women out of money.
He drove a rented Maserati and presented himself as a charming self-made millionaire property developer.
Carter allegedly fleeced four wives, a fiancée, family members, multiple construction businesses, and a homeless charity into believing the deception before scamming them out of their fortunes.
‘I hope he is made to come home and face what he’s done… or leave prison in a body bag. He thinks he’s smarter than everyone else, but he’s gone to a country that has outsmarted him and he’s been caught,’ Sarah Quattrocelli, the daughter of an alleged victim, told the Herald Sun.
In the late 1980s, Carter married his first wife Elise Ryan before abandoning her and their three children after 10 years.
Ms Ryan claims he owes her more than $150,000 in child support payments.
Carter (pictured right) was the subject of a 60 Minutes investigation aired on Channel Nine in 2019
Carter allegedly conned four wives, a fiancée, family members, multiple construction businesses and a homeless charity. Pictured: Carter’s first wife Elise Ryan (right) and his third wife Brooklin Carter (left)
It only took about one year for Carter to marry again, sharing nuptials with another woman before leaving her 12 months later.
By 2003, the love-rat married multi-millionaire Brooklin Carter and had a son with her.
She said he lured her with a fake RSVP dating profile and ‘always had a way of talking himself up’ and convincing others ‘what you thought was going on wasn’t’.
‘I now appreciate that he lied to me about pretty much everything,’ Brooklin said.
One of Carter’s biggest alleged cons was allegedly carried out on Brooklin’s father Andrew Facey – the owner of Parklea who is the largest landowner in southeast Melbourne’s Cardinia Shire.
Brooklin claims Carter fleeced him of about $2million during their marriage splashing the cash on sports cars and luxury homes in Australia and the US.
Carter is pictured with former fiancée Katherine De Bois who he proposed to when he was married to his third wife
The two were living together in the US in 2014 when Carter flew back to Melbourne to propose to yet another woman – Katherine De Bois (not her real name).
She had no idea he was already married and claims Carter told her his wife died of brain cancer.
When Katherine eventually discovered the truth, she claims Carter raped her and threatened to have her killed. Carter denies these allegations.
In the years that followed both relationships broke down but in 2019 Carter married for a fourth time to lawyer Kelly Hamilton.
Several construction businesses also claim to have been left out of pocket by Carter after he allegedly refused to pay them.
Uniting Housing Victoria, a charity group linked to the Uniting Church which helps fight homelessness, are also alleged to be a victim of Carter.
The organisation claims he lied his way into becoming chief executive then used his position to enrich himself.
Brooklin (pictured with Carter) claims Carter fleeced her father out of about $2million during their marriage splashing the cash on sports cars and luxury homes in Australia and the US
Cater allegedly carried out a similar con on his mother’s business which he became the director of.
The ordeal left Gianna Carter financially stricken and ‘out on the streets with absolutely nothing’.
Following his US arrest, Carter spent two nights in a detention facility before being released to house arrest and fitted with a GPS ankle bracelet.
According to an American source with knowledge of the probe, the legal troubles facing Carter could be expanded.
‘They are hoping to present more charges soon,’ the source said.
