Woman gets prison for exploiting elderly man

A 63-yearold Helena woman convicted of exploiting an elderly man and living off of his income until he was nearly destitute has been sentenced to three years in prison and must pay $100,000 in restitution.

A jury convicted Maureen Molina in May, and District Judge Jeffrey Sherlock sentenced her last week to 10 years in prison with seven years suspended.

Court records say Molina met the man in 1996 when he was about 80 years old. At the time, he was managing his own finances, owned his home free and clear and had about $30,000 in savings.

Friends of the man brought Molina to the attention of...