A new lawsuit has revealed how a Manhattan, New York psychic swindled a once-wealthy man out of more than $1 million through false promises to find him a soul mate and purge away “dark spirits” through increasingly expensive rituals.
According to the once wealthy man, William Young of Brooklyn, he met the scamming soothsayer, Shaina Samiel, in May 2021 while working at XoXo Bar, a since-closed gay bar on W. 46th St. Samiel.
The soothsayer gave readings out of a building next door.
The two became close and Young, who is bipolar and suffers from depression, became one of Samiel’s regular customers, according to the suit which was filed Sunday, January 9.
“Samiel told Young that his family was cursed by dark spirits and blamed them for his mental health difficulties. She claimed that the dark spirits were very strong and that so long as they were there, Young will not be able to find love or happiness or have a good relationship with his family,” Young’s lawyer wrote in a Manhattan Supreme Court complaint.
Samiel, who referred to herself as Young’s “spiritual mother,” claimed to know the right rituals to bring fulfillment to his life, the suit states.
The spells, however, had to be done by paying a hefty price tag.
Samiel, a self-described “spiritual guide,” told her client that the power of the “arcane and occult arts” depended on how much he was willing to spend, the lawsuit claims.
