Boston man sentenced to NH state prison for grandparent scam

A Boston man will spend two to five years in New Hampshire State Prison for his role in a grandparent scam, in which he admitted stealing $18,000 from an elderly resident in Nashua, and trying to steal $32,000 from a Keene resident, officials said Wednesday.

Starlyn Javier Lara Pimental, 27, of Roxbury, was involved in the scam in 2020 with another person, a co-conspirator who was not identified in a statement from the New Hampshire Attorney General’s office.

Pimental pleaded guilty to charges of theft by deception and attempted theft by deception last August in Cheshire County Superior Court.

He was arrested by Keene police on Nov. 4, 2020 for attempting to take $32,000 in cash from an elderly victim after his co-conspirator told the victim their grandchild was in a car accident, killing another person and the money was for compensation, the statement said.

After his arrest, police found that Pimental obtained $18,000 in cash from another elderly victim on Oct. 29, 2020 in Nashua, N.H. after his co-conspirator told the victim their grandchild was arrested following a car accident and needed the money for their release, the statement said.

He was ordered to pay $10,000 to the Nashua victim in restitution, the office said. He had already paid $8,000 previously.

Pimental was sentenced two to five years in state prison on the charge of theft by deception. He was also sentenced to two to five years for the attempted theft by deception count, but it was suspended for 15 years, pending good behavior, the statement said.

Pimental is to not contact either victim or trespass on their property, the office said.

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