http://www.thenewstribune.com/2010/0...d-in-fake.htmlKing County prosecutors say a Federal Way woman faked she was pregnant and took $3,500 in child support from a man she deceived into thinking he was the father.
Carmen L. Johnsen, 31, has been charged with theft, perjury in the first degree and forgery. Johnsen also claimed she miscarried and printed a fake death notice, according to charging papers.
In December 2008, Johnsen told the man she was pregnant with his child. The next month, Johnsen took two pregnancy tests at St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way that were negative, court documents state.
Knowing she wasn’t pregnant, Johnsen told the man that she had a history of high-risk pregnancies and miscarriages and that she needed to be on bed rest, Federal Way police reported. Believing Johnsen was pregnant with his child, the man wrote five $700 checks to Johnsen for child support between February 2009 and June 2009. She cashed each one, prosecutors say.
When the man saw that Johnsen did not appear pregnant in July 2009, he said he confronted her and threatened to report her to police.
Johnsen filed for a protection order against the man and perjured herself four times in Pierce County Superior Court, claiming she had been pregnant, prosecutors say.
She also allegedly tried to pressure the man into paying half of her medical bills, totaling $9,601.81.
[...]
As part of the deception, Johnsen named what she said was her baby and published a fictitious death announcement – “In Loving memory of Rebekah Lynn Johnsen” – in a newsletter for a bottle collectors club for which she served as president, according to court documents.
She also requested a funeral service from a pastor at a Federal Way church, claiming she had lost her baby as a result of a car accident and that she had the body cremated, the documents state.
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/101599543.html"I would support her financially, emotionally, you know," said the victim, who did not want to be identified. "I would support the child, you know, everything."
Court documents state Johnsen repeated the pregnancy claim under oath on four different occasions.
In total, the victim paid her $3,500 in child support before the alleged fraud was discovered in July 2009. He police he became suspicious in July 2009 when he was presented with a $9,600 hospital bill.
"Then I went over to her house, and I looked at her. I had her turn sideways and I said, 'You're not pregnant!' " the victim said. "I said, 'Let me see where your IV was.' And there was no IV mark. I knew she wasn't pregnant. Then I told her the next day, 'I'm going to go to the police if I don't talk to a doctor.'
"Then she said she'd pay me the money back. Then she retracted that immediately, and then I went to the Federal Way police."
[...]
Johnsen also presented detectives with a document purporting to show a positive pregnancy test result, prosecutors said. That document was later shown to have been forged.
"I've been in court with her three times and she goes right before a judge and just lies! Like it's reality!" the victim said.
Video at link with indignant Johnsen: http://www.king5.com/news/Woman-fake...101345754.html"I was. Actually I was pregnant twice," says Johnsen as she shows us a piece of paper from a doctor. "It's on a form for pregnancy, they wouldn't have put it on this form if I wasn't pregnant."
Johnsen says, how dare her ex-boyfriend claim she faked it all. "I cannot believe it, I just cannot."
Police and prosecutors however, tell a different story.
"I've been doing this a little over 25 years and I don't think I have ever seen a fraud case quite like this," says Cathy Schrock with the Federal Way Police Department.
[...]
Johnsen claims her ex is abusive and is trying to get back at her. Soon after he called police, Johnsen filed several restraining orders, which were denied.
But is she willing to pay the money back?
"I don't think that I should because he gave it to me not just for the unborn child, but… to help my children and everything, he gave it to me as a gift," she said.
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks