Massachusetts inmate accused of $10k+ elder scam behind bars

Prosecutors say prison bars weren’t enough to keep one inmate from milking an 86-year-old father of a fellow inmate of more than $10,000 for fake legal services.

A Plymouth County grand jury today indicted Brian Vines, 49, and his wife Shayna O’Leary, 50, on charges related to a the alleged scheme. Vines is charged with larceny by false pretense over $250 and conspiracy while O’Leary is charged with unauthorized practice of law.

The indictment alleges that Vines, an inmate at Old Colony Correctional Facility, told a fellow inmate who was imprisoned there for second-degree murder that O’Leary was a great criminal defense attorney who could negotiate his sentence down to manslaughter.

The target inmate then contacted his 86-year-old father and urged him to hire O’Leary for her purported legal prowess, according to the Plymouth District Attorney’s office. The concerned father agreed and kept forking over money, finally totaling more than $10,000, for a series of phone calls, forged legal documents and false promises.

Old Colony is a medium-security facility “focused on mental health,” according to its state webpage, situated on the grounds of the larger Bridgewater Correctional Complex.