Monadnock Ledger-Transcript
Published: 12/2/2018 7:29:33 PM
A Bennington couple convicted on charges of theft and exploitation of an elderly family member were sentenced to time state prison in Manchester Thursday. The couple was also ordered to pay back the more than $130,000 the November jury trial found them guilty of taking.
James Folley, 69, and Karen Folley, 62, were sentenced at the Hillsborough Superior Court in Manchester on Thursday, Attorney General Gordon J. MacDonald said in a press release.
In the jury trial held on Nov. 1, James Folley was found guilty on three counts of theft by unauthorized taking and one count of financial exploitation of an elderly adult and Karen Folley was found guilty of two counts of theft by unauthorized taking.
James Folley is to serve one to four years in state prison on a conviction for stealing $44,500 from his elderly sister’s bank account.
He was also sentenced to serve two consecutive state prison sentences of seven and a half to 15 years for stealing more than $40,000 by using a debit card linked to her bank account. The sentences were concurrent to the one to four year sentence. These sentences are fully suspended, provided he remain of good behavior, that he not serve in a fiduciary capacity, and that he pay $90,030.27 in restitution. He was additionally sentenced to one to two years in state prison – suspended under the same conditions listed above – for stealing $1,237 while acting as his sister’s durable power of attorney.
Karen Folley is to serve one to two years in state prison for her role in stealing more than $20,000 by using a debit car for retail purchases.
She was also sentenced to a consecutive seven and a half to 15 year state prison sentence – fully suspended for ten years – for her role in stealing more than $20,000 via ATM withdrawals.
She was also ordered to pay $44,293.27 in restitution.
The Folleys were investigated by the Bureau of Elderly and Adult Services and the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit after the Bureau of Elderly and Adult Services received allegations that the Folleys had exploited his sister, leaving her unable to pay for medical and other long-term care expenses.
Nicholas Handy can be reached at 924-7172 ext. 235 or nhandy@ledgertranscript.com.