Newfields man gets 2-4 years for exploiting elderly woman

BRENTWOOD -- The Newfields man who exploited an elderly woman by taking several credit cards in her name was sentenced to two to four years in state prison.

Thomas U. Gage, 58, of Newfields, was sentenced to begin his prison term in Rockingham Superior Court Thursday on two Class A felony counts of financial exploitation of an elder adult. He was sentenced to a fully suspended sentence of three to six years on the second charge after he pleaded guilty on both charges Sept. 9.

The sentence was suspended for five years from the date of Gage’s release from state prison, and was conditioned upon his good behavior and restitution to the victim.

An investigation conducted by the state attorney general’s office, in conjunction with the Exeter Police Department, revealed between January 2015 and January 2016, Gage, a former Exeter-based attorney used undue influence to convince the victim, a former client of his, to open several credit cards and allow him to use them to fund a real estate renovation project, according to the AG’s office.

The investigation showed Gage did not own the real estate he was supposedly renovating and instead used the credit cards to satisfy numerous personal debts and expenses without the victim’s knowledge or consent, the AG’s office said. The total amount of credit card debt incurred using the victim’s cards was more than $81,000.

Gage was disbarred in 2016 for reasons unrelated to these offenses.

The Department of Health and Human Services, Bureau of Elderly and Adult Services encourages reporting exploitation to its agency by calling (800) 949-0470.

Full Article & Source:
Newfields man gets 2-4 years for exploiting elderly woman