New Bedford Guide Your Guide to New Bedford and South Coast, MA
A 33-year-old Fall River and Somerset man who stole more than $40,000 from his 85-year-old grandmother last year was sentenced to serve two to three years in state prison late last week in Fall River Superior Court, Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III announced.
Derek DeCambra pleaded guilty to a multi-count indictment charging him with two counts of larceny over $250 from a person over 60 and one count of larceny over $250.
In 2016, to allegedly support his heroin habit, the defendant stole nearly $45,000.00 from his 85 year old grandmother by cajoling and/or forcing her to make cash withdrawals from her bank accounts at Bank of America and Rockland Trust in the Fall River area.
During a plea hearing held last Thursday before Judge Thomas McGuire, Assistant District Attorney Michael Scott, the chief of the office’s Financial Crimes/Elder Unit, argued for a three to five year state prison sentence in addition to a two year probationary term. The defendant requested a more lenient two year state prison term.
Judge McGuire sentenced the defendant, who has more than a dozen previous larceny convictions, to serve two to three years in state prison, to be followed by one year of supervised probation. While on probation, the defendant will be required to submit to random drug screenings.
“The defendant, using intimidation and coercion, took advantage of a his loving grandmother to support his drug habit,” District Attorney Quinn said. “This conduct is unacceptable and our financial crimes unit will continue to prosecute individuals who steal from and abuse the elderly.”
