Eric Paul Johnson: Man arrested for extorting $80K from wife in fake drug cartel scam to fuel habit
MELBOURNE, FLORIDA: Eric Paul Johnson, a 29-year-old resident of Melbourne, Florida, has been arrested on charges of extorting over $80,000 from his wife under pretenses, purportedly to support his cocaine addiction through a fabricated drug cartel scheme.
Johnson faces a slew of felony charges, including grand theft exceeding $100,000, organized fraud for property valued over $50,000, extortion, and the unlawful use of a two-way communications device.
Eric Johnson sent blackmail messages to his wife posing as drug cartel
The ordeal began in December 2023 when Johnson's wife discovered multiple demands for money from an unknown phone number upon returning home from work.
Allegedly, he informed her that they were being blackmailed and claimed that an individual named "Troy" would assist them in resolving the situation.
The extortionist, communicating through text messages, threatened harm to Johnson unless his wife complied with demands to transfer funds to a CashApp account. Messages included ominous statements such as "500 now for my family or things will happen" and "500 now or buenas noches," translating to "good night" in Spanish, per Fox.
Johnson, who was missing during these exchanges, had purportedly vanished on previous occasions amid ransom demands. Reportedly, just before his disappearance in December, he frequently absented himself, allegedly owing money to a drug cartel.
Upon payment of the ransom, the husband would return home, utilizing his wife's car during his absence.
Law enforcement located Johnson the day after his wife reported him missing, driving on US 192 in Melbourne. Subsequently, the suspect admitted to sending the threatening messages and confessed to a cocaine addiction.
Although he denied involvement in drug dealing, investigators allegedly uncovered evidence of illicit activities on his phone, including "sexting" messages to another woman.
Eric Johnson's troubled criminal past
Court documents reveal a troubled history, with Johnson disclosing his drug usage and purported affiliation with a drug cartel to his wife when they met in May 2020. He allegedly claimed to be managing a "large quantity of cocaine, which was ultimately intercepted and resulted in a loss of $60,000," which his wife aided in repayment.
Additionally, Johnson is accused of previous financial misconduct, reportedly stealing $9,000 from his wife through ATM withdrawals around Melbourne before their marriage. From May 2020 to December 2023, the suspect allegedly received $18,120 from his wife and a total of $124,549 from various sources.
Johnson pleaded not guilty to the charges on Friday, March 8.
