A US "psychic" who admitted she defrauded about $US1.2 million ($A1.30 million) from clients - including a mentally ill man who was hearing voices - has been sentenced to nearly three and a half years in prison.
Cynthia Miller, 36, who ran the Astrology Life store in Fort Lauderdale, was the last of nine family members sentenced for their roles in a psychic fraud conspiracy that federal prosecutors said fleeced more than $US20 million from clients all over the world.
Miller, who advertised as a psychic and "life coach", admitted that she claimed she could communicate with spirits and had the power to remove curses and negativity from her clients' lives.
She told customers that money or valuables they gave her would either be burned, sacrificed or donated to charity or churches.
One of her victims was a man who heard voices in his head and was grieving the recent death of his father when he sought help at her store.
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He eventually gave her $US400,000 worth of gold coins in the belief she could fix his problems.
When he later asked her to return the coins, Miller told him they "were buried in a cemetery and she could not remember where".
Prosecutors said some of those gold coins were later found in a safety deposit box controlled by Miller's husband, Michael Marks.
Miller also admitted that she took a huge amount of money from a Japanese woman who underwent multiple surgeries for brain tumours while seeking guidance on romantic and other life matters from her.
The woman gave her life savings - about $US500,000 - to Miller and is now losing her home, in Japan, to foreclosure, according to prosecutors.
Miller wept in court as she apologised.
"The first thing I want to say is that I'm sorry to my clients," she said. "There's not a day that goes by that I don't punish myself in praying that one day they will be able to forgive me. I did, and still do, care very deeply for them and pray for them and feel horrible for my actions."
After the sentencing, Miller's lawyer Richard Lubin said he had no reason to believe Miller ever met Deveraux.
Marra sentenced Miller to three years and five months in federal prison and gave her until May 30 to begin serving her prison term. She is expected to pay about $1.2 million in restitution to victims.
Miller's only comment as she left the courthouse was: "Justice was served."
