ROCHESTER — A former nursing home billing coordinator was sentenced to state prison yesterday after pleading guilty to stealing more than $70,000 from an elderly resident, Attorney General John M. Formella announced.
Jennifer Bryant, 48, of East Rochester, was sentenced in the Strafford County Superior Court to serve 5-10 years in the New Hampshire State Prison for theft by unauthorized taking, a class A felony.
Between May 7, 2019, and May 12, Bryant misappropriated $71,548 in social security funds intended for a resident’s care at the nursing home.
Instead, she funneled the money into personal expenses, including retail shopping, salon services, dining, entertainment, home improvements, and vacations.
The court ordered Bryant to pay full restitution to the nursing home and suspended three years of her sentence, contingent on a 15-year term after her release during which she is banned from working in any billing, accounting, or elder care capacity.
Bryant was taken into custody immediately after the sentencing.
As part of the plea agreement, the state will nolle prosse an additional charge of financial exploitation of an elderly adult.
The investigation was a collaborative effort by the Consumer Protection and Antitrust Bureau and the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, with Senior Assistant Attorney General Bryan J.
Townsend, II, and Assistant Attorney General Andrew Yourell leading the prosecution.
Authorities urge anyone with knowledge of elder abuse or financial exploitation to report such incidents to local police or the Department of Health and Human Services, Bureau of Elderly and Adult Services at 1-800-949-0470.
