A Colorado woman who pleaded guilty to running a romance scam against a 90-year-old widower may have targeted other victims too, according to investigators. Her name is Priscilla Johnson, and she’s 33.
Johnson pleaded guilty to theft and criminal exploitation of an at-risk adult, in a case the 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office in Colorado described as a romance scam. As part of a plea deal, she has to pay back the victim’s money in full with interest, won’t serve any jail or prison time, and must complete 60 hours of public service.
How the Original Scam Worked
The case started back in July 2025, when Johnson approached a man at a King Soopers grocery store in Centennial. She introduced herself as “Elizabeth John” and told him she’d come to Colorado after her fiancé, with whom she said she had two children, was killed in a car crash in Arizona. The man, a 90-year-old widower, opened up about his own loss, and the two exchanged phone numbers.
They later met for lunch, and Johnson said she’d recently had some items stolen and needed money to replace them. He gave her $6,000, believing there were genuine romantic feelings between them. Not long after that, Johnson told him she had cancer and needed $34,000 for medical treatment. He withdrew the money from two separate bank accounts and handed it over in cash.
Then, according to prosecutors, Johnson told him she needed even more financial help.
How It Unraveled
The scam came apart after the victim’s son grew concerned that his father had been taken advantage of and contacted the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office. Investigators traced the phone number Johnson had been using and found it was registered to her, despite the victim knowing her only as “Elizabeth.”
More Victims May Be Out There
Here’s the part that matters going forward. Investigators say the case has led them to other potential victims of similar scams. That suggests Johnson’s alleged pattern wasn’t limited to just this one relationship, and authorities are continuing to look into whether others were targeted the same way, with a manufactured backstory and a slow escalation from small requests to much larger ones.
Officials on the Case
18th Judicial District Assistant District Attorney Ryan Brackley said the plea agreement was meant to both hold Johnson accountable and make sure the victim got his money back. He said justice is about accountability, but also about making victims whole again.
District Attorney Amy Padden added that people victimized through scams involving personal relationships often hesitate to come forward, out of fear of embarrassment or judgment. She said there’s no shame in asking for help, a message clearly aimed at encouraging any additional victims to reach out.
Why This Matters More Broadly
Romance scams targeting older adults are a well-documented and growing problem, and cases like this one tend to follow a similar shape: a chance meeting, a tragic backstory, an emotional connection, then a series of urgent financial requests that escalate over time. The fact that investigators are actively looking for more victims here is a reminder that these schemes rarely involve just one target.
If you or someone you know may have been approached by Johnson under a different identity, or has experienced something similar, reaching out to local law enforcement or the National Elder Fraud Hotline can help authorities build a fuller picture of the case and potentially recover losses.