Sophia Smith’s nonprofit Strong ARM Foundation ‘was used to effectively strong-arm’ her victim, the Clark County Deputy District Attorney alleged
A real estate agent in the Las Vegas area was sentenced for scamming her elderly “best friend” with dementia out of nearly $640,000 after she manipulated him into thinking they were dating.
Sophia Smith, 50, was found guilty in December of exploiting an older or vulnerable person, theft and credit card fraud, KLAS reported . She was sentenced Tuesday to six months in jail, but faces the possibility of having to serve a suspended 12- to 30-year prison sentence if she violates parole.
Smith was named “a realtor with a purpose” in MyVegas Magazine’s “top 100 real estate professionals” in 2021, the outlet reported.
According to court documents, Smith bilked Cornelius “Connie” Hoffmans, 90, out of $638,223.56, KLAS reported. She called Hoffmans her “best friend” multiple times in Facebook posts cited by prosecutors.
Smith was the founder of Strong ARM Foundation, a nonprofit for underprivileged women and children that prosecutors alleged was a scam.