Attorney General Gordon J. MacDonald announces the indictment of Karla Cloutier, age 49, of Winchendon, Massachusetts for the financial exploitation of G.S., age 79.

Cloutier was indicted in Cheshire County Superior Court on 5 counts of financial exploitation of an elderly, disabled or impaired adult. The indictments allege that Cloutier took the financial resources of G.S. (age 79), an elderly adult, in breach of a fiduciary obligation recognized in law, by making multiple withdrawals from G.S's bank accounts, and for the benefit of someone other than G.S. The total amount of the alleged exploitation is approximately $63,000. The exploitation occurred between January 2016 and January 2017.

Cloutier was also indicted on 5 alternate counts of theft by unauthorized taking.

New Hampshire law, RSA 631:9, provides that any person who, in breach of a fiduciary obligation recognized in law, knowingly or recklessly, for his or her own profit or advantage, unless authorized by the instrument establishing fiduciary obligation, deprives, uses, manages, or takes either temporarily or permanently the real or personal property or other financial resources of an elderly adult, for the benefit of someone other than the elderly adult, shall be guilty of financial exploitation.

The charges are all class A felonies and are punishable by up to 7½-15 years at the New Hampshire State Prison and/or a maximum fine of $4,000 for each charge.

The charges and allegations in the indictments are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.