Paul Hill, the husband of a woman dubbed the 'Sweetheart Swindler,' was sentenced to 125 years in prison Thursday after pleading guilty to several crimes.
Hill's wife, Desiree Boltos, was sentenced to 263 years in prison in 2018 after prosecutors said she seduced men and women to try to steal their life savings. Hill, 43, and Boltos, 40, prosecutors said, teamed up to scam several elderly people out millions of dollars in cash, houses, vehicles, and credit card purchases. Prosecutors said Boltos often introduced Hill as her brother.
Boltos said during her trial that she didn't steal the money and that it was given to her willingly. During her trial, elderly victims testified that Boltos seduced them and stole their savings.
The Tarrant County District Attorney's Office said Hill fled the county after his wife was convicted in 2018. He was indicted on separate charges and was tracked down and arrested in Las Vegas in 2019 living under the alias John Ray. Las Vegas police said John Ray was arrested on suspicion of committing three business robberies.
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Judge Robb Catalano sentenced Hill Thursday to 10 years for bail jumping and failing to appear; 10 years for money laundering an amount between $20,000-$100,000; 20 years for theft of property between $30,000-$150,000; and 85 years for engaging in organized criminal activity.
“This should serve as a warning to those who exploit our senior citizens,” Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney Sharen Wilson said. “We are prosecuting these cases and seeking the maximum penalty.”
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Hill's sentences, like Boltos', will run concurrently.
“This has been a long journey for the victims of this offense because of Mr. Hill’s exiting himself from the state," said Lori Varnell, chief of the Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney's Elder Financial Fraud team. "However, we are pleased to see justice come for them and for our community.”
