To that end, the self-described "director and entrepreneur" claimed to be involved "in several different initiatives throughout the state of California for green living."

Green is his euphemism for money because Stratos is under arrest for allegedly swindling more than $7 million from Eddie Murphy's ex-wife Nicole Murphy. He faces three counts of mail fraud, eight counts of wire fraud, two counts of money laundering, and obstruction of justice.

The indictment, filed Tuesday in federal court in California, claims Stratos promised Murphy -- identified only as "N.M." -- to invest her money in high-return overseas accounts and instead diverted it to his personal account, and also lived inside her Granite Bay, Ca., home rent-free while promising to sell it.

Murphy accused Stratos of fraud in a civil lawsuit she filed in September 2010 which was later withdrawn.

"She apparently believed it and in a lot of fraud cases, unfortunately, the reason they're successful for so long is the fraudster is very good at cultivating the trust of his victims," United States Attorney Benjamin Wagner told News10/KXTV in Sacramento.

Murphy divorced her ex-husband after 12 years of marriage in 2005; the couple have five children -- four daughters and a son.