Colorado Woman Pleads Guilty in $40,000 Romance Scam

Priscilla Johnson, 33, pleaded guilty in Arapahoe County, Colorado, to theft and criminal exploitation of an at-risk adult after taking $40,000 from a 90-year-old widower. The 18th Judicial District Attorney described the charged conduct as a romance scam. The arrest affidavit says Johnson met the man at a King Soopers grocery store in July 2025 and introduced herself as “Elizabeth John.”

She told him that her fiancé had died, then asked for $6,000 to replace a stolen makeup kit and $34,000 for cancer treatment. The widower provided both payments in cash. Under the plea agreement, Johnson must pay restitution plus interest, complete 60 hours of public service and will not serve jail or prison time. The affidavit also describes other possible victims. One 80-year-old man reported losing $7,500, while another contact had saved Johnson’s number after meeting someone named Elizabeth on Plenty of Fish but reported no loss. Investigators also examined a separate report involving about $450,000; its status was unclear in the source reviewed.

The plea resolves the charged conduct involving this victim. Other possible victims and losses described in the arrest affidavit remain investigative allegations, not findings from the plea. The case shows why even an in-person connection should not prevent an independent check when a new acquaintance makes a large, urgent cash request. Johnson’s guilty plea establishes the charged conduct involving the 90-year-old widower. The other contacts and losses described in the arrest affidavit are investigative leads, not convictions or findings resolved by this plea. The source did not report a final outcome for the separate $450,000 complaint.