2 accused of scamming $40K from landlord, damaging apartment

For the MVI

Two people are accused by police of taking $40,000 from an elderly man who has memory issues after claiming they needed the cash to stay out of jail and pay child support, according to Westmoreland County detectives.

Jordan Johnson, 35, was jailed Monday on charges of financial exploitation of an older adult, criminal mischief, solicitation and conspiracy. He listed addresses in West Newton and Donora in court records.

An arrest warrant on the same charges has been issued for Emma Harbaugh Walker, 32, of West Newton.

According to the criminal complaint filed Monday at the office of Magisterial District Judge John Christner in Rostraver Township, police said the 77-year-old man was their landlord at an apartment in West Newton, and Johnson and Harbaugh Walker often drove him to ATMs to get cash.

A caregiver with access to the bank accounts told police in March he noticed numerous withdrawals over the past year, including on 68 occasions between Jan. 26 through March 14 totaling $12,000.

Detectives reviewed text messages that showed the suspects asking for money, according to court papers.

After both were evicted for not paying rent for three years, there was garbage, animal feces and broken appliances and furniture found in the apartment, police said.

“It was clear that Johnson and Harbaugh Walker intentionally vandalized the apartment,” Detective Francesco Rosato Jr. wrote in the complaint.

Christner arraigned Johnson Monday and remanded him to the Westmoreland County Prison on $30,000 bail. He did not have an attorney listed in online court records. An Aug. 17 preliminary hearing is set.