Janet Adams, 46, (pictured above) is being held on $500,000 bond at a San Mateo County Jail. She was arrested on December 18, 2009 after her victim’s husband learned about the withdrawals from his wife. So what exactly happened? Here’s the story. Janet owns the “Psychic and Crystal Vision” shop in San Mateo’s Laurelwood shopping center. Her victim, an 85 year old woman, said she visited the shop “on a lark” last January for a tarot reading according to Steve Wagstaffe, the San Mateo County’s chief deputy district attorney.
Adams convinced the elderly woman to come back for another reading, during which Adams began to shake and cry. She told the victim that her husband would die of a heart attack is she didn’t immediately pay $13,000 for “special prayers” the prosecutor said.
So what does the elderly lady do? She went and got the money. At another visit, Adams told the woman that her own husband was in the hospital and would die without treatment so the elderly woman gave her another $9,000. Then Adams says her husband died, she needed money to help pay for the funeral. Then her son needed medical treatment. You see how this is going right? When it was all said and done, the woman gave Adams over $80,330.
This isn’t the first time that Adams has pulled this kind of stunt. In 2004 she went to prison for two years on a theft conviction when she worked as a palm reader at the Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Festival, according to authorities.
Can you believe that she pleaded “not guilty” to the charges? If you live in the Bay area, stay far away from Janet Adams and the Psychic and Crystal Vision shop in San Mateo.
Update: Adams is about to lose her business. She signed a rental agreement back in December 2006 but the landlords have now taped a notice to “pay rent or quit” on the shop door. She currently owes $427 for rent and common area expenses. Since Adams was arrested more victims have come forward. Dianna Czellecz paid $1000 to Adams last year while she battled alcoholism. Adams gave her cash for prayers and crystals and in return Adams gave her a Glade candle with the label peeled off to “ward off evil spirits”. She could have gotten that at the grocery store for a couple of bucks.