Salt Lake Tribune | 1919-11-22 | Page 20 | Realty Dealer Facing Arrest

REALTY DEALER FAGIKGARREST Complaints Charging1 C. W. Johnson With Defalcation Will Be Filed Today. Shortages Cover Feriod of Many Years, Involving Sum of $60,000. Charles "vV Johnson, president and manager of the Johnson Realty company, IS Exchange Place, will this morning be charged with defalcations which will total to-tal approximately $60,000. Thirteen complaints, com-plaints, prepared in the office of the county attorney, will be filed against Mr. Johnson this morning, and it is said that the total number of complaints will reach thirty. The Johnson company was successor to the real estate department of the Houston Hous-ton Real Estate company with whom Mr. Johnson was affiliated for many years. Mr. Johnson has been long prominent in real estate circles of the city and has taken part in Republican politics. He was at one time a candidate for county assessor on he Republican ticket. Puring the war Mr. Johnson was secretary secre-tary of the Public Safety committee and was active in the various patriotic drives which were conducted. Complaints Prepared. The defalcations cover a period of several sev-eral years. A. Blair Richardson of the Ashton-Jenkins realty firm has been making an audit of the books of the Johnson John-son company to determine the amount, number and nature of the various defalcations defal-cations and shortages. The thirteen complaints which will be sworn to and filed today charge Mr. Johnson with having forged various deeds, notes and other instruments by which he transferred amounts from one client to another. It is said by friends of Mr. Johnson that when he took over the real estate department of the Houston Real Estate concern certain affairs were in poor condition. Mr. Johnson, it is alleged, soon began to juggle his accounts to cover up shortages, short-ages, and in continuing that course of procedure In trie time since had dissipated dissipat-ed his own means, said to have amounted to about $50,000 at one time, and to have involved himself in the loss of the additional addi-tional money for his clients. Forgery Is Charged. He is said to have employed different procedures for different affairs. In some instances he is said to have accepted mortgage money from one client, giving him a forged deed, and to have turned over this payment to another client. In other instances he .is alleged to have forged notes. Mr. Johnson is said by friends to have made a frank confession of the state of his affairs, and when Mr. Richardson was requested to make an audit, rendered him assistance in the work. He is also said to have expressed a desire to have the court procedure completed as soon as possible that he may begin the serving of whatever sentence may be given him at the earliest possible moment. County officials stated last night that in their opinion Mr. Johnson had not personally per-sonally profited from the peculations, but that he had been drawn into a mesh of deceptions in order to cover up. and once started, had been unable to stop without It 1b not known as yet how many persons per-sons will be involved in financial loss as a result of the disclosures. It was said last night on good authority that most of the persons who will suffer loss are well-to-do.