Former Legislator Going To Prison For Scamming Elderly Women

A former member of the Maine Legislature received a prison sentence this week for scamming elderly women out of their money and for tax evasion.

The Portland Press Herald reports that officials have called it one of the worst cases of elder financial abuse in Maine. It all began when Robert Lindell Jr. with a woman named Phyllis Poor who lived in Belfast Prosecutors say Lindell started acting as a securities agent for her in the early 2000's and was eventually given power of attorney, including making him trustee of accounts for her disabled veteran son. After Poor died in 2012, police say Lindell wrote checks to himself and his company from Poor's estate. He bought, renovated, and lived in a home in California, all with Poor's money, and from a trust fund that was set up for her son, who lives in a Florida assisted-living facility.

His second victim was a woman who had known Lindell since he was born. Gianna Lewis, who lived outside Paris, named him trustee for accounts that were set up by her late husband. Again, Lindell used money from her account to pay his personal expenses. Once the abuses were revealed. Lindell was also charged with failing to pay taxes on the ill-gotten gains, and for receiving tax refunds that he was not entitled to.

Lindell, who served on the Maine Legislature from 2004 to 2008, will spend 10 years behind bars for 15 counts, including theft, securities fraud, and income tax evasion. He's also ordered to pay restitution to his victims, in the amount of $750,000. Lindell was convicted on all counts by a jury on November 7th of last year.