A Georgia man is accused of tricking Steve Harvey‘s radio show co-host, Shirley Strawberry, into marrying him and then using her fame to cheat at least 25 people out of over $750,000. On April 23, a Fulton County Grand Jury charged Earnest Williams, 57, with 39 counts of fraud, according to court documents per the NY Post.
Williams presented himself as a successful businessman, stealing hundreds of thousands from his victims, including
“personal vehicles, motorcycles, coach buses, trailers, automotive parts, and other various services and property.”
Williams would target primarily women, and
“often used the illusion of romantic or close personal relationships with those victims to manipulate them and to steal from them,”
according to the documents.
The documents allege he
“knowingly entered into a fraudulent marriage with Shirley Strawberry,”
— the co-host of
“The Steve Harvey Morning Show”
and used her
“high-profile celebrity”
to convince his victims of his legitimacy as a businessman. The couple got married in January 2015.
“We believe she met a man, fell in love, and married him, and the truth is, at the time, he was already married to someone else,”
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis told WSBTV.
The well-known radio host filed for divorce on April 17th. However, according to court documents, they had been living apart since March 2022. Williams is also accused of recruiting multiple
“co-conspirators,”
his main accomplice being Erica King. Williams allegedly
“solicited King to fraudulently assume the identities of multiple attorneys licensed to practice law in Georgia to deceive law enforcement and the courts, including by appearing in court and by falsely and fraudulently representing Williams in hearings.”
Williams and King were arrested in October 2023. He has been indicted on multiple charges and his public defender has filed a plea agreement on his behalf. If found guilty, Williams could face a prison sentence ranging from one to 20 years. Additionally, if he is found guilty of filing a false marriage license in Georgia, he could face up to 10 years in prison and a fine of $10,000.
#Clique, what are your thoughts?
‘Businessman’ allegedly married Steve Harvey’s radio co-host to scam over $750K from 25 victims, mostly other women https://t.co/PeGwoEM6gn pic.twitter.com/zEkOCgszIf
— New York Post (@nypost) May 31, 2024