Eugene Johnson Jr., Mail Fraud, Virginia 2021

State: Virginia
Category: Fraud &#038; Financial Crimes
Source: <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-edva/pr/maryland-man-pleads-guilty-financial-scams-using-online-dating-sites" style="color:#cc0000;" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">DOJ Press Release ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â‚¬Â Ã¢â‚¬â€

RICHMOND, Va. – A romance scam has led to the downfall of a Maryland man. Eugene Johnson Jr., 39, of Leonardtown, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to mail fraud in connection with an online dating site romance scam.

Johnson used online dating sites to establish romantic connections with various women, claiming to be a U.S. Marine with a son whose mother had died. He promised to marry each victim, buy a house with her, and raise his son and any children they might have together.

However, Johnson’s true intentions were far from romantic. He would ask the victims to send him money for various pressing financial needs, claiming he needed it for car, financial, legal, or health problems. To bolster these claims, Johnson sent the victims text messages from different phone numbers in which he posed as individuals who could corroborate his prior claims.

Johnson directed the victims to send him money via interstate wire transfers and bulk cash shipments. He continued to ask the same victims for more money to meet other claimed needs until they exhausted their own resources, refused, or questioned the truth of his claims. In total, Johnson obtained at least $276,361 from at least eight women residing in three different states.

Contrary to his claims and promises, Johnson used the victims’ money to pay personal debts and expenses and never repaid any of the victims. Johnson is scheduled to be sentenced on September 17 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.

According to court documents, Johnson’s fraudulent scheme began in December 2014 and continued through at least January 2018. The scheme preyed on members of the community who thought they were helping a servicemember with significant financial needs.

Raj Parekh, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, stated, ‘As this case demonstrates, we will continue to hold accountable those who use online forums to defraud victims.’

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