A Massachusetts woman has pleaded guilty to charges of stealing from elderly victims through an online support scam in New Hampshire. As a result, she will be serving time in state prison, according to the Attorney General.
In a statement on Wednesday afternoon, Attorney General John Formella announced that Rachel Chen, a 26-year-old resident of North Andover, Massachusetts, has pleaded guilty to two Class A felony counts of conspiracy to commit theft by deception and one Class A felony count of theft by deception in Merrimack County Superior Court.
Chen has been sentenced to 2 to 6 years in the New Hampshire State Prison on one count of conspiracy.
Chen received a sentence of 7 ½ to 15 years in the New Hampshire State Prison for the conspiracy count and theft by deception count. However, all of the minimum and maximum terms were suspended for a period of 10 years after her release from prison.
According to Formella, if imposed, the suspended sentences will be consecutive to her prison sentence.
As part of her suspended sentence, Chen must pay $20,000 in remaining restitution, in addition to the $20,000 she had already paid before sentencing. Furthermore, she is not allowed to work with elderly, disabled, or impaired adults in any capacity. Additionally, she cannot serve as a fiduciary for anyone.
As part of the plea deal, the state decided to drop one remaining class A felony count of attempted theft by deception, Formella explained.
On March 14, 2024, Chen was apprehended by the Allenstown Police Department while trying to collect $22,000 in cash from her elderly victim, “J.S.”
According to Formella, Chen’s accomplices deceitfully informed J.S. that his computer was infected with a virus, his financial accounts were compromised, and he needed to surrender the money in order to safeguard it.
Investigators discovered that Chen and her co-conspirators utilized Tech Support scams to fraudulently obtain money from two more elderly victims, identified as “E.B.” and “D.L.” The total amount deceived from these victims was $40,000, as revealed by Formella.
The Attorney General’s Office received assistance from the Allenstown and Nashua police departments, as well as the Lamoille County Vermont Sheriff’s Department, during the investigation.
If you suspect elder abuse or financial exploitation of the elderly, it is important to take action. You can contact your local police or reach out to the Department of Health and Human Services, Bureau of Elderly and Adult Services at 1-800-949-0470.
This story is currently in progress. Stay tuned for updates as more information becomes available.