Bath Man Indicted for Stealing Approximately $225,000 From an Elderly Disabled Veteran

Bath Man Indicted for Stealing Approximately $225,000 From an Elderly Disabled Veteran

CONCORD - A Bath man was indicted for stealing approximately $225,000 from an elderly disabled veteran, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces.

Donald Estes, 49, was charged with four counts of Bank Fraud and four counts of Mail Fraud.

According to the indictment, the victim was disabled and unable to independently manage his money or make decisions. The victim lived at a nursing home and received monthly disability payments from the Department of Veterans Affairs.

On July 21, 2020, the victim's nursing home contacted Estes asking whether he would serve as the victim's legal guardian. Estes never applied to become the guardian. Instead, Estes had the victim sign an agreement granting Estes access to the victim's bank account. Over the next few years, Estes took approximately $225,000 from the victim and used the money on personal purchases.

The charging statute for bank fraud provides a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $1 million. The charging statute for mail fraud provides a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of twice the gross gain or loss. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

The Department of Veterans Affairs' Office of the Inspector General and U.S. Postal Inspection Service led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen is prosecuting the case.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.