Anne Hathaway’s Former Partner Arrested for Fraudulent Real Estate Scheme

An Italian businessman, Raffaello Follieri, who was once known as the boyfriend of actress Anne Hathaway, has been arrested on charges of operating a fraudulent real estate scheme.

The scheme, which he claimed was linked to the Vatican, involved deceiving investors into thinking that he had connections with the Catholic Church to purchase their unwanted U.S. real estate properties at a discount.

Follieri, a globe-trotting multimillionaire residing in New York, has been charged with conspiracy, wire fraud, and money laundering.

According to U.S. prosecutors, he led investors to believe that his close ties to the Vatican allowed him to secure these discounted properties.

However, instead of using the investors' money for its intended purpose, Follieri and his associates spent it on personal expenses such as expensive clothes, extravagant meals, a luxurious Manhattan apartment, dog-walking services, medical expenses, exotic vacations, and privately chartered flights for his then-girlfriend, whose identity remains undisclosed.

For the past four years, Follieri had been in a relationship with actress Anne Hathaway, known for her roles in films like “The Devil Wears Prada” and “Get Smart.”

Although the couple reportedly recently split, no official statement has been made by Hathaway or her representative regarding the arrest.

During his court appearance, Follieri reacted strongly to the prosecutor's arguments claiming that he was a flight risk.

He vehemently denied the allegations and interrupted his lawyer multiple times, asserting that he had paid off some of his debts.

Despite the prosecutor's claims that Follieri possessed large sums of money in overseas bank accounts and had tested positive for opiates, his lawyer argued that there was no reason to believe he would attempt to flee, considering his lack of criminal history and his family residing in Italy.

The complaint against Follieri reveals that he made false representations, including fabricating claims that the Vatican had officially appointed him to manage its financial affairs and that he had met with the Pope during a visit to Rome.

However, investigations have proven these claims to be unfounded.

Witnesses cited in the complaint reported that Follieri kept various ceremonial robes at his New York office, some belonging to senior clergymen.

On one occasion, he even asked a monsignor traveling with him to change into a robe of a higher-ranking clergyman to create the illusion of close ties to the Vatican.

Follieri managed to secure millions of dollars in investment money from an undisclosed private equity firm by deceiving them with his fraudulent claims.

Notably, California supermarket mogul Ron Burkle previously sued Follieri in Delaware for misusing funds from a joint real estate venture involving the purchase and resale of Catholic Church properties.

If convicted, Follieri could face up to 20 years in prison for wire fraud.

However, prosecutors have indicated that if he pleads guilty, he may receive a maximum sentence of six and a half years behind bars.

The trial will determine Follieri's fate as he faces the consequences of his alleged fraudulent activities.