CONCORD, N.H. — A Massachusetts woman will serve time in state prison after pleading guilty on Wednesday to charges that she stole from elderly victims through an online support scam in New Hampshire, the Attorney General said.
Rachel Chen, 26, of North Andover, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty in Merrimack County Superior Court to two Class A felony counts of conspiracy to commit theft by deception and one Class A felony count of theft by deception, Attorney General John Formella said in a statement on Wednesday afternoon.
On one conspiracy count, the court sentenced Chen to 2 to 6 years in the New Hampshire State Prison, stand committed.
On the other conspiracy count and the theft by deception count, Chen was sentenced to 7 ½ to 15 years in the New Hampshire State Prison, with all of the minimum and maximum terms suspended for a period of 10 years following her release from incarceration.
The suspended sentences are consecutive to her stand committed prison sentence if imposed, Formella said.
As conditions of her suspended sentence, Chen, among other things, was ordered to pay $20,000 in remaining restitution, after having paid $20,000 prior to sentencing. She is also prohibited from working in any capacity with elderly, disabled, or impaired adults, and serving as a fiduciary for any person.
As part of the plea, the state dropped one remaining class A felony count of attempted theft by deception, Formella said.
On March 14, 2024, the Allenstown Police Department arrested Chen as she attempted to pick up $22,000 in cash from an elderly victim, “J.S.”
“Chen’s coconspirators falsely told J.S. that he had a virus on his computer, his financial accounts were compromised, and he needed to turn over the cash to protect it,” Formella said.
After Chen’s arrest, investigators learned that Chen and her coconspirators used Tech Support scams to obtain money from two additional elderly victims, “E.B.” and “D.L.,” totaling $40,000, Formella said.
The Allenstown and Nashua police departments and the Lamoille County Vermont Sheriff’s Department assisted the Attorney General’s Office with the investigation.
Anyone who suspects elder abuse or financial exploitation of the elderly is urged to call local police or the Department of Health and Human Services, Bureau of Elderly and Adult Services at 1-800-949-0470.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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