A judge has sentenced Las Vegas real estate broker Sophie Smith to prison for conning a man with dementia to finance her gambling debts. [Image: Shutterstock.com]
Realtor scammed elderly man
Clark County Circuit Court Judge Carly Kearney sentenced a prominent Las Vegas real estate broker to time in prison for bilking her elderly friend with dementia out of $638,223.56.
Exploitation of an elderly or vulnerable person, theft and credit card fraud.”
Judge Kearney on Tuesday sentenced Sophia Smith, 50, to six months in prison for “exploitation of an elderly or vulnerable person, theft and credit card fraud.”
For her actions against 90-year-old Cornelius “Connie” Hoffmans, the judge also sentenced Smith to a suspended prison sentence of 12 to 30 years.
According to court documents, Smith, who is openly gay, made the Hoffmans believe they were in a relationship, including posts of them together on Facebook in which she called the elderly man her “best friend.”
With the money Smith stole from her victim, she bought a house and an RV and paid off her gambling debts.
A strong-armed crook
Smith began mowing down Hoffmans by donating money to her charity called the Strong ARM Foundation, an alleged non-profit organization that claims to fund “underprivileged women and children to purchase equipment and uniforms.”
However, Clark County Deputy Prosecutor Austin Beaumont stated that the organization was a scam, with Smith taking nearly 90% of the donations.
To further deceive Hoffman, Smith made him believe they were dating, despite Deputy District Attorney Beaumont’s statement that she knew her victim “had memory problems.” [and] Dementia.” Judge Kearney noted Tuesday that Hoffmans was likely oblivious to the fact that Smith was using him.
The judge rebuked Smith, saying: “It is a sad position that you took advantage of that trust in the way you did.”
“I’m sorry for manipulating, deceiving, and taking advantage of my best friend.”
During the sentencing hearing, Smith apologized for not telling Hoffmans she was gay. Most of all, she said, “I’m sorry for manipulating, deceiving, and taking advantage of my best friend.”
The family gets some rewards
While Smith’s deception and robbing of an elderly person with dementia is a cruel crime that may have caused Hoffman untold grief, his family has and will receive some compensation.
according to Hey ho! Newsgave a civil suit The Huffman family purchased the home and RV Smith with their victim’s money. Judge Kearney Smith also ordered the Hoffmans’ estate to pay nearly $300,000 in restitution.
The judge added that if Smith violates her probation within five years, she will have to turn herself in to prison.
