Users' Choice
Romancing robber sentenced to 14-plus years
A robber who found his Portland, Ore., victims through gay chat lines and pretended to be interested in romance or sex was sentenced this week to more than 14 years in prison.
Investigators said 35-year-old Elijah Whitney Cohens II had four victims earlier this year, ranging from their 20 to their 60s, and each time pretended once he met them to be a policeman, according to The Oregonian newspaper.
Investigators, according to the paper, tracked down Cohens through a cigarette butt that had DNA matching an entry in the state database from his previous convictions, which included robbery, forgery, assault and burglary.
Cohens pleaded guilty to robbery, burglary and impersonating an officer. He was sentenced to 150 months and ordered to pay $7,000 in restitution.
