SACRAMENTO / MONTECITO – December 2025 – In a stunning and unprecedented legal development, California Attorney General Rob Bonta has filed serious criminal fraud charges against Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, accusing the Duke and Duchess of Sussex of wire fraud, money laundering, and misappropriation of charitable funds through their Archewell Foundation. The indictment, unsealed Tuesday, has triggered the immediate shutdown of the foundation’s operations and threatens each defendant with up to 15 years in federal prison if convicted on all counts.

The 47-count complaint alleges that between 2020 and 2024, Harry and Meghan knowingly used Archewell — launched as a charitable vehicle for mental health, veterans’ support, and women’s empowerment — to funnel millions of dollars in donations into personal and commercial ventures. Prosecutors claim the couple solicited funds under false pretenses, promising donors that contributions would support specific humanitarian programs while instead diverting large sums to private security, luxury travel, staff salaries, and production costs for their Netflix and Spotify deals. The filing cites internal emails, bank records, and whistleblower testimony showing over $11 million in donations were redirected without proper disclosure or charitable use.

Particularly damaging are allegations of wire fraud involving falsified grant reports sent to major donors and tax authorities. One example cited in the indictment: a $2.7 million donation from a Silicon Valley tech philanthropist intended for Archewell’s “mental health curriculum in schools” was allegedly transferred to a production company controlled by the Sussexes to fund a Netflix special. Prosecutors say the donors were never informed and the promised programs were never delivered. Additional charges include money laundering through a complex web of shell accounts and shell companies in Delaware and the Cayman Islands.