Santa Barbara – The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department, working at the behest of the Southern California High Tech Task Force Identity Theft Detail under the auspices of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and with the support of the FBI, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and the L.A. County District Attorney’s Office, made an arrest on April 28th which has interrupted the long fraud and identity theft career of 43-year-old Maria Christina Johnson.
Working on a tip from the High Tech Task Force, SBSD deputies reported to one of Santa Barbara’s most exclusive and expensive beachfront hotels where they found Johnson—who has worked her criminal wiles under no less than four alias identities—ensconced in luxury accommodations under the name of one of her victims.
According to SBSD Public Information Officer Kelly Hoover, Johnson was apparently enjoying her stay, having racked expenses “over $100,000, with total losses in the case” approaching $250,000. SBSD deputies showed up at Johnson’s hotel suite and summarily took her into custody, ultimately transporting her to the Los Angeles jurisdiction at the Malibu Sheriff’s Station, “where she was booked for two felony arrest warrants out of Los Angeles County,” with her bail set at $2,000,000.
Johnson’s modus operandi centered around her ability to use her feminine wiles and physical appearance to entice victims through various online dating sites as well as through residential rental websites.
With an arrest record and felony fraud convictions dating back nearly twenty years, Johnson had been aggressively sought by law enforcement agencies throughout the State of California.
Anyone believing they have information regarding Johnson’s prolonged criminal career is urged to contact the Southern California High Tech Task Force at (818) 576-8884.
Photos: Courtesy Los Angeles County Jail Booking
