A judge on Thursday ordered a nationally known “slam” poet to pay more than $117,000 in restitution to a woman whose house she was accused of trying to steal.
Dominique Christina Johnson, 46, maintained during a court hearing that she had done nothing wrong in filing what investigators concluded was a forged “quitclaim” deed in 2017 on a home in the 11600 block of East Cornell Circle in Aurora, changing the locks and moving in.
The criminal case grew out of a 2017 9Wants to Know investigation.
Johnson, who performs under the name Dominique Christina, specifically denied allegations made by the home’s rightful owner, Shamma Al-Reyami, who testified in Thursday’s hearing that her belongings were removed from the house and that it was left with damaged walls and floors and other problems.
> The video above is from a 2018 9NEWS story about the case.
“I maintain that I did not in any way shape or form seek to exploit Shamma Al-Reyami or to take her property without her consent,” Johnson said at one point during the hearing.
She also asserted that she did not forge the deed – that it was given to her by “Shamma Al-Rayami or someone representing themselves to be her.”
In a deal with prosecutors, Johnson had pleaded guilty last month to a felony charge of “offering a false instrument/recording.” As part of the agreement, prosecutors dismissed one count of theft between $100,000 and $1 million, two counts of attempting to influence a public servant, one count of trespass into a dwelling and two counts of forgery.
She was sentenced to three years’ probation, according to court documents.
But the question of restitution was left for Thursday’s hearing, where Al-Rayami – who was away from the home for long periods while working overseas – testified that after Johnson vacated her home artwork, patio furniture, a plasma television and numerous other belongings were missing, and there were holes in the walls, and damage to floors and carpeting.
Johnson acknowledged having a refrigerator hauled away and throwing away patio furniture that she said was damaged by the weather and animals.
“Everything that’s being alleged – I know she doesn’t have proof that I’m responsible …” Johnson said. “It’s fictional.”
After listening to nearly three hours of testimony, Arapahoe County District Judge Shay Whitaker ordered Johnson to pay $117,681.92 in restitution.
Shamma Al-Reyami owned the home with her sister, Sarra Al-Reyami. Both women spend most of their time outside the country, and the home was left empty for extended periods of time.
Their brother would periodically check on it – and according to court documents, he was shocked in 2017 to find that someone was living into it. Shamma Al-Reyami returned to Colorado to discover that a woman identified as Johnson had visited the Arapahoe County Assessor’s Office on July 31, 2017, and filed a “quitclaim” deed – a document often used to transfer property among family members. Security footage obtained by 9Wants to Know captured a woman believed to be Johnson attempting to file the new deed, which indicated that Shamma Al-Reyami transferred the house to her for $1.
An eagle-eyed clerk compared the signatures on the documents to the original sales papers on file in the office, concluded they were forged, and held up the transfer.
Shamma Al-Reyami went to Aurora Police and reported the incident. However, after Johnson provided copies of the paperwork, officers initially concluded that the dispute was a matter for civil court – not criminal court.
Johnson told 9Wants to Know in 2016 that she had been “stewarding the property” since 2015 and that Shamma Al-Rayami gave it to her after she had rehabilitated the run-down and trash-strewn home. In an e-mail to 9NEWS, Johnson included a picture she said showed the condition of the home when she began taking care of it. The image showed refuse piled high – but 9Wants to Know found that the photo came from the website for the popular cable television show “Hoarders.”
Following the 9Wants to Know investigation, Aurora police detectives began looking into the matter. Police arrested Johnson in October 2018.
Contact 9NEWS reporter Kevin Vaughan with tips about this or any story: kevin.vaughan@9news.com or 303-871-1862.
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