Long Prison Sentence for Bucks Man in Widespread Fraud of Elderly Homeowners
By Brad Segall
NORRISTOWN, Pa. (CBS) -- A Bucks County man who prosecutors say was the ringleader of a home care scam that ripped off dozens of elderly Pennsylvania residents will spend at least four years in state prison.
For 3½ years, prosecutors say, Ross Rabelow operated American Comfort, selling home care contracts to elderly residents who wanted to remain in their homes.
But the 55-year-old Upper Southampton man never made good on many of those contracts, instead using the premiums to pay family bills.
Today, a Montgomery County judge sentenced Rabelow to 4-44 years in prison.
"This was not an accident, this was not an unfortunate downturn in business," says Pennsylvania senior deputy attorney general Eric Schoenberg. "This was a deliberate criminal scheme."
Schoenberg says Rabelow stole from 245 residents across the state, many of them paying thousands of dollars for worthless contracts.
Rabelow was also ordered to pay back $650,000, although Schoenberg admits that some of the victims have passed away and others will likely die before seeing any money.