Award-winning lesbian realtor, 50, is jailed for tricking 90 year-old man with dementia into thinkin

May 2024 · 2 minute read

A lesbian Las Vegas realtor tricked a 90-year-old man with dementia into thinking they were in a romantic relationship in order to scam him out of over half a million dollars. 

Sophia Smith, 50, was convicted of exploiting Cornelius 'Connie' Hoffmans to buy an RV, buy a home and pay her gambling debts.

Hoffmans, a widower, believed the two were dating even though Smith - who won awards for her real estate sales - is openly gay.

Smith's scam began with a donation from Hoffmans to her non-profit, the unfortunately-named Strong A.R.M. Foundation.

But the charity, which supposedly raised funds for underprivileged women and children, was a scam, with as many as 90 percent of donations going to Smith and her gambling habit.

Sophia Smith, 50, was convicted of exploiting Cornelius 'Connie' Hoffmans to buy an RV, buy a home and pay her gambling debts

Sophia Smith, 50, was convicted of exploiting Cornelius 'Connie' Hoffmans to buy an RV, buy a home and pay her gambling debts

Hoffmans, a widower, believed the two were dating even though Smith (pictured) is openly gay

Hoffmans, a widower, believed the two were dating even though Smith (pictured) is openly gay

Smith also bought a home for $275,000 using Hoffmans' money, the Nevada court heard. 

Clark County Deputy District Attorney Austin Beaumont said: 'Ironically, her foundation’s name, Strong Arm Foundation, was used to effectively strong-arm Mr. Hoffmans into giving her that $638,223.56.'

The court saw social media images where Smith called Hoffmans her 'best friend.'

Smith was named a 'realtor with purpose' in MyVegas Magazine's 2021 'top 100 real estate professionals' issue.

'At some point in my friendship with Connie, I became a gamble-holic... In my addiction and losing money gambling, I became greedy,' Smith said at her sentencing on Tuesday, as reported by KLAS.

'In my addiction, I manipulated someone that loves me unconditionally just to feed my habit.' 

Smith's scam began with a donation from Hoffmans to her non-profit, the Strong A.R.M. Foundation

Smith's scam began with a donation from Hoffmans to her non-profit, the Strong A.R.M. Foundation

The charity, which Smith said raised funds for underprivileged women and kids, was a scam

The charity, which Smith said raised funds for underprivileged women and kids, was a scam

Last month, Smith was found guilty of exploiting an older or vulnerable person, theft and credit card fraud.

She was sentenced to six months in jail and a suspended 12-to-30 year sentence to be served if she violates her five years of probation. 

'I’m sorry that I didn’t tell Connie I was gay, but most of all, I’m sorry for manipulating, deceiving and taking advantage of my best friend,' Smith told the court.

Smith must also pay Hoffmans' estate $300,000 in retribution. 

Hoffmans' family received the home and the RV after a civil lawsuit. 

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