GREELEY, Colo. — An Evans man faces seven years behind bars after he tricked his girlfriend’s 87-year-old grandfather to sign his house over to him.
Jonny Stewart, 34, was arrested and charged in August 2017, according to court documents. He was sentenced Friday morning.
The grandfather told police he had owned his home in Evans for almost 50 years and was letting his granddaughter and her boyfriend, Stewart, live there for three years. They were supposed to pay rent, but rarely did, he told authorities.
In May 2017, Stewart told the grandfather that he wanted to buy the home from him. It was worth about $190,000, so the man said he needed the grandfather to sign some paperwork so he could get a loan.
The grandfather can’t read and asked Stewart several times about the documents he was signing. Stewart continued to assure him that the paperwork was for a loan. In reality, it was the deed to the home.
“This man is a scam artist who preys on the most vulnerable members of our community,” said Deputy District Attorney Anne Kelly. “The victim in this case is a proud and compassionate man who would do anything for his family. Mr. Stewart took full advantage of this man’s heart and his trust. When arrested, he assaulted and attempted to disarm an Evan’s police officer in order to avoid taking responsibility for his actions. He deserves every year the court imposed.”
