SALT LAKE CITY — A 20-year-old Colorado woman is facing multiple charges in Utah after allegedly impersonating a law enforcement officer to scam money from a resident in a fake jury duty scheme.
Lexi Navarrette Johnson, of Greeley, Colorado, was charged Wednesday in 3rd District Court with two third-degree felonies — communications fraud and theft by deception — and one misdemeanor count of impersonating a police officer.
According to charging documents, a woman in Salt Lake County received a call in June from a blocked number. The caller claimed to be a Salt Lake County sheriff’s deputy and falsely told her she had missed jury duty and needed to pay a $2,200 fine to avoid arrest.
Fearing jail time, the victim transferred $1,200 via Apple Pay to a number provided by the caller, followed by another $600 in a second transaction.
Deputies traced the phone number and financial transactions back to Johnson. Investigators found that the Apple Pay account used in the scam listed Johnson as the sole account holder.
Authorities remind the public that Utah courts and law enforcement will never call and demand money over the phone — especially not through payment apps or gift cards.
Jury duty and arrest warrant scams have become increasingly common across the state in recent years.
