A Melbourne, Florida man was arrested after allegedly extorting over $80,000 from his spouse to gas his cocaine behavior by falsely claiming he was concerned with a drug cartel.
Eric Paul Johnson, 29, was charged with grand theft of $100,000 or extra, organized fraud to acquire property valued over $50,000 or extra, extortion, and illegal use of a two-way communications machine – all felonies.
Court docket data say Johnson’s spouse returned residence from work in December 2023 and noticed a number of messages from an unknown telephone quantity. Within the messages, the particular person demanded varied sums of cash.
Johnson allegedly advised his spouse they had been being blackmailed and {that a} man named “Troy” was going to assist them out.
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The one who despatched the messages advised Johnson’s spouse that her husband can be harm or killed if she didn’t ship cash to a CashApp account.
As an example, one of many messages learn partly, “… 500 now for my household or issues will occur.”
In one other message, the particular person wrote, “500 now or buenas noches,” which suggests good evening in Spanish.
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Johnson was lacking when the messages had been despatched, although this was not the primary time he had allegedly disappeared, and ransom was demanded.
Simply two months earlier than Johnson’s spouse reported him lacking, he began to vanish incessantly as a result of he allegedly owed cash to the cartel.
As soon as she paid the ransom to the alleged cartel, Johnson would come residence.
When Johnson disappeared in December, he was in possession of his spouse’s automobile. She advised police she believed he returned to the home on the day of the kidnapping, noting she noticed an outfit he was beforehand carrying within the bed room, court docket paperwork word.
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Police discovered Johnson the day after he was reported lacking after he was seen driving on US 192 in Melbourne.
Police mentioned within the court docket submitting that Johnson admitted he was the one who despatched the textual content messages from an unknown quantity to his spouse, including he had a cocaine downside.
Though Johnson mentioned he by no means offered medicine, he admitted he was a private consumer, court docket paperwork alleged.
When investigators searched his telephone, they allegedly discovered “sexting” messages to a lady on the day he was reported lacking by his spouse.
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Johnson met his spouse in Could 2020, and he disclosed to her that he used cocaine and marijuana, but additionally labored for a drug cartel, court docket paperwork allege.
He additionally allegedly advised her he was working a “massive amount of cocaine, which was in the end intercepted and resulted in a lack of $60,000.”
Johnson’s spouse helped him repay the alleged debt.
Practically two years earlier than the couple married, Johnson allegedly stole $9,000 from his spouse by pulling cash out of ATMs round Melbourne.
Between Could 2020 and December 2023, Johnson allegedly acquired $18,120 from his spouse and a complete of $124,549 from her and different sources.
On Friday, Johnson pleaded not responsible to the costs.
