Career criminal sentenced for swindling Fall River woman of thousands

FALL RIVER, Mass. (WLNE) — A man who swindled a Fall River woman out of $8,500 in a scam around getting her a new car was sentenced to serve up to five years in prison.

According to court documents, Robert Goodrich, 60, pleaded guilty in Fall River Superior Court to charges of larceny of a motor vehicle and larceny over $1,200.

Officials said on February 20, 2019, Fall River Police responded to the 60-year-old victim’s home after she called 911.

Police said she told them she met Goodrich on a dating website a few weeks earlier and they had been dating since then. During one of their dates, the victim told Goodrich she was looking for a new car, which Goodrich offered to do for her.

Goodrich later told the victim he found a good price on a Toyota Rav4 in New Hampshire and told her to write a check to him for $8,500. Goodrich cashed the check the same day he received it, officials said.

The next day, the victim gave Goodrich her old car to trade in. He then disappeared and the victim’s car was later found abandoned in Everett.

Court records show Goodrich has numerous prior convictions for thefts and related crimes. He was also ordered to pay complete restitution to the victim.