Pastor Tilo Lopez, 58, described as an ordained minister and active in his church, was sentenced Monday to 12 years probation after he pleaded guilty to filing a false tax return, a felony, and attempting to commit theft, a misdemeanor charge. The charges stemmed from a construction project in west Denver that he was paid for in 2020, according to court records, but never completed, according to a family that paid him hundreds of thousands of dollars for work that was never done.
“He is a thief who took advantage of our vulnerability,” said Elsie Lara, 76, who knew Lopez since he was a child. She said Lopez’s actions “were a profound betrayal of our trust.”
Lara said she and her husband, who is now 80, lost over $400,000 to Lopez…