Attorney General Gordon J. MacDonald announces that Karla Cloutier, age 50, of Winchendon, MA, pled guilty on August 21, 2018 in Cheshire Superior Court, to five class-A felony counts of Financial Exploitation of an Elder Adult.

Ms. Cloutier was sentenced to the New Hampshire State Prison on one of the charges for a term of 1.5 to 4 years, stand committed. On the remaining charges, Ms. Cloutier was sentenced to the New Hampshire State Prison for a term of 2-4 years, with all of the minimum and maximum portions of the sentences suspended for five years, conditioned on good behavior and repayment of restitution to the victim. The suspended sentences will be served consecutive to the stand committed sentence 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 Ms. Cloutier was her elderly uncle's durable power of attorney between 2015 and 2017. The investigation showed that during that time, Ms. Cloutier used approximately $63,000 of her uncle's money for her own benefit.

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. If you or someone you know has been the victim of elder abuse or financial exploitation, please contact your local police department or the Department of Health and Human Services, Bureau of Elderly and Adult Services (1-800-949-0470).