HOUSTON — A man who stole more than a quarter-million dollars from a 68-year-old man with autism was sentenced to 28 years in prison, according to the Harris County District Attorney's Office.
Editor's note: The videos attached to this article are from reports before Paul Yonko was sentenced.
Prosecutors have called Paul Yonko a "repeat con artist." They were hoping to sentence Yonko to life in prison after he was found guilty of engaging in organized criminal activity -- a felony -- last week.
Yonko stole $260,000 from the man over the course of 90 days -- between Jan. 9, 2022, and April 7, 2022 -- by manipulating the victim into giving him the money.
Investigators have had the Yonko family as well as associates on their radar for years. They've been charged and convicted of engaging in criminal activity multiple times.
The prosecutor in Yonko's case was pushing for a life sentence, saying Yonko couldn't be rehabilitated and has shown that he won't change his criminal ways. The prosecutor said more people would be at risk if he's ever allowed back on the streets.
Yonko was facing a sentence of 15 years to life in prison and pleaded not guilty to the charge. He also made the decision to not testify during his trial.