Winchendon woman guilty of exploiting elderly man

Karla Cloutier, 50, of Winchendon, pleaded guilty Tuesday in Cheshire Superior Court to five class-A felony charges of financial exploitation of an elder adult, according to an announcement from New Hampshire Attorney General Gordon J. MacDonald.

Ms. Cloutier was sentenced on one of the charges for a term of 1½ to 4 years in New Hampshire State Prison.

On the remaining charges, Cloutier was sentenced to 2 to 4 years, suspended for five years, conditioned on good behavior and repayment of restitution to the victim.

The suspended sentences will be served consecutive to the sentence that is being served and concurrently with each other.

An investigation conducted jointly by the Attorney General’s Office and the Bureau of Elder and Adult Services revealed that Cloutier was her elderly uncle’s durable power of attorney between 2015 and 2017. During that time, Cloutier used $63,000 of her uncle’s money for her own benefit, prosecutors said.

Attorneys and victim/witness advocates in the Elder Abuse and Exploitation Unit work with local law enforcement to investigate and prosecute crimes involving elder abuse and financial exploitation. Police said that if someone has been the victim of elder abuse or financial exploitation, they should contact the local police department or the Department of Health and Human Services, Bureau of Elderly and Adult Services, at 800-949-0470.

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Winchendon woman guilty of exploiting elderly man