“Career criminal” who swindled Fall River woman out of thousands of dollars sentenced to prison

A 60-year-old man who swindled a Fall River woman out of $8,500 in a scam centered around obtaining her a new car was sentenced to state prison and ordered to pay full restitution, Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III announced.

Robert Goodrich, of no known address, pled guilty in Fall River Superior Court to indictments charging him with Larceny of a Motor Vehicle and Larceny Over $1,200 and was sentenced to serve up to five years.

On February 20, 2019, Fall River Police were dispatched to the 60-year-old victim’s home after she contacted police. The victim told police she had met the defendant on an online dating website a few weeks earlier and had been dating since then. During one of their dates, the victim told the defendant she was looking for a new car, at which time the defendant offered to do it for her. The defendant later told the victim he had found a good price on a Rav4 in New Hampshire and told her to write a check to him for $8,500 for it. The defendant cashed the check the same day he received it from the victim.

On the next day, the victim gave the defendant her own car to trade in to complete the purchase. The defendant then disappeared. The victim’s car was eventually found abandoned in Everett.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Michael Scott and the state prison sentence, along with the order of full $8,500 restitution to the victim, was imposed by Judge Valerie Yarashus.

Goodrich, who previously resided in the Lynn area, has numerous prior convictions for theft related crimes.

“The defendant is a career criminal and a thief. Clearly at the age of 60, he has no intention of obeying the law,” District Attorney Quinn said.