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MIDVALE — Charges filed Wednesday accuse a Bountiful man of conning an elderly business owner out of roughly $125,000 through a litany of deceptive behaviors last year.
Charging documents say Leslie Jay Price, 65, gained the favor of an 83-year-old woman who runs a consignment shop in Midvale by lying to her, including claiming at one point that "he was part of a secret military group and had higher security clearance than the president."
Price is charged in 3rd District Court with exploitation of a vulnerable adult, a second-degree felony.
Price met the woman at her business and allegedly gained her sympathy by saying he was dying from hepatitis C. He also told her he was a sheriff's deputy and that he had inherited mansions, cattle ranches and mines, charges state.
The woman gave Price large sums of money or made payments for him several times between February and July 2015, frequently selling gold to fund his alleged needs. One payment went toward a down payment for the purchase of a GMC Yukon Denali, charges state.
Charges say Price told the woman that $5,000 was stolen from his home and he needed the money replaced. He also tried to intimidate the woman indirectly by saying he would kill anyone who "hurts him," as well as their families, charges allege.
A warrant for Price's arrest was issued Wednesday. His criminal history in Utah includes guilty pleas to felony forgery and theft, court records show.
