Former Exeter lawyer pleads not guilty to elderly exploitation

 BRENTWOOD -- A former Exeter lawyer charged with financial exploitation of a 71-year-old woman pleaded not guilty and waived his arraignment Friday, according to state Assistant Attorney General Brandon Garod.

Thomas U. Gage, 57, of Newfields, was indicted in Rockingham Superior Court last month on five counts of financial exploitation of an elderly, disabled or impaired adult, the state attorney general’s office announced in a press release.

The indictments allege Gage, through the use of undue influence, acquired possession or control of five credit cards allegedly belonging to the woman. The total amount of the alleged exploitation is $87,165 occurring between January 2015 and January 2016.

Gage is a former attorney who practiced in Exeter, the attorney general’s press release stated. He was disbarred in 2016 for unrelated reasons.

The maximum penalty for each indictment is 7½ to 15 years in state prison and/or a fine of $4,000.

The case is being prosecuted by Garod, assistant attorney general in the office’s Elder Abuse and Exploitation Unit. Garod said a dispositional conference will be scheduled in Rockingham Superior Court in a month.

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Former Exeter lawyer pleads not guilty to elderly exploitation