GAINESVILLE — Tekesia Johnson felt ready for another chance at love. Her new business venture held promise, her two children were grown and the romantic reservations she formed after her failed engagement had since subsided.
It seemed time to find someone — a man who shared her sense of ambition.
The Jacksonville woman searched for suitors in May 2017 on Plenty of Fish, one of the most popular dating websites owned by Match Group, the world’s top online dating service company.
Johnson, one of 150 million registered users on the site, felt confident she would find a worthwhile match. That did not happen.
Like tens of thousands of other Americans who engage in online dating, Johnson said she was scammed. She warned her daughter and shared her story through local media appearances.
Brian Brainard Wedgeworth, 46, swindled Johnson out of thousands of dollars in 2017, federal prosecutors said. A grand jury indicted him in October, and he was arrested in Nashville shortly afterward.
More on scams:Jacksonville man goes to prison for using twin brother’s identity to scam veteran benefits
Guilty plea from Wedgeworth expected
Wedgeworth, who prosecutors said is known by at least 13 aliases and has remained in federal custody, is expected to plead guilty Thursday morning in federal court in Tallahassee.
If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison for wire fraud and…
