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Articles Posted in larceny

Occasionally, an upcharge of prices for a service is an honest mistake or a misunderstanding. However, when a worker overcharges a person on purpose, this can be considered larceny. In Commonwealth v. Watterson the Massachusetts Appeals Court examined a case where a defendant targeted and overcharged elderly customers for his services. 

Defendant Watterson provided services as an oil burner technician, plumber, and drain specialist. The State alleged that he targeted and stole from various elderly and unsuspecting customers. The judge found him guilty of one count of larceny by false pretenses and one count of larceny from an elderly person. Defendant challenged the sufficiently of the evidence. 

What happened in the Watterson case? 

A pastor has been charged with larceny in Foxboro after authorities say he tried to run a scam on four elderly individuals aimed at conning them out of their Social Security checks.

Foxboro criminal defense attorneys understand that larceny in Massachusetts is a serious crime, particularly for someone whose job requires the public trust. An accusation alone can do great damage to your reputation, and can impact your employment future. A conviction can be worse, and under The Sun Chronicle:

Investigators say that the pastor, who heads an Adventist church, chose the alleged victims at random. Reportedly, all four of the individuals are in their 70s and 80s. They are from New Mexico, Michigan and Arkansas. They reportedly offered up their personal information to the pastor after he told them they were lottery winners.

The pastor is accused of then contacting the Social Security Administration to have the individual’s checks sent to a local Massachusetts bank account that he controlled. Bank officials contacted police after becoming concerned that four separate Social Security checks were being funneled into the same account. Police were contacted by bank administrators after the pastor showed up to ask about the deposits, as he intended to make a withdrawal.

The investigation is ongoing, and officials are trying to determine whether there are additional victims in other states. The pastor’s Foxboro defense attorney has indicated that the pastor was recently a victim of a scam, and had sent more than $3,000 to an individual in Florida.

It appears the pastor may have had additional financial difficulty, as he was given loans that topped $60,000 at six separate financial institutions two years ago. He has since filed for bankruptcy.

The pastor further told investigators that he forwarded all the money to an account in Great Britain to help with an estate there that he reportedly inherited.
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