Dec. 5—Denver prosecutors want to know if there are any more victims of a Morrison contractor and youth pastor who is accused of bilking an elderly couple out of $250,000, according to a news release.
Investigators allege Tilo Lopez, 35, funneled money paid for the couple's retirement home on everything from fancy hotel stays and Las Vegas trips to Oriental back massages, athletic shoes and clothing, according to the arrest warrant.
Lopez was arrested and charged with two felony counts of criminal exploitation of an at-risk adult after an investigation which took just over a year.
Investigators say that the 71 and 74 year old man and wife own a restaurant which Lopez had been frequenting since he was a child. They told police that they trusted him not only because they'd known him for so long, but also because he was a religious minister, according to the arrest affidavit. They hired Tilo's company, Remodeling Specialists LLC, in March 2020 to remove their home and replace it with a duplex where their daughter could take care of them in their old age.
According to the arrest affidavit, Lopez' company dug the foundation for the couple's new condominium and then abandoned the project.
Lopez was known as "Pastor Tilo" and produced religious YouTube videos "spreading the gospel" for Forge Denver Church. Records show the church was located in Arvada and opened in Jan. 2019.
The Open Corporates website reported that Forge Denver Church had financial problems and showed a status of non-compliance by Feb. 2022.
The Denver D.A.'s office believes that Lopez may have had other victims. If you or anyone you know has been a victim of Lopez and Remodeling Specialists LLC, please call Denver DA Investigator David Dawson at 720-913-9054.
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Colorado youth pastor arrested on charges of bilking elderly couple out $250,000
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