Solet Calls For Stronger Protections Against Elder Financial Exploitation; Pledges To Push For Reform

SOLET CALLS FOR STRONGER PROTECTIONS AGAINST ELDER FINANCIAL EXPLOITATION; PLEDGES TO PUSH FOR REFORM 

MIDDLESEX COUNTY, MA — Democratic candidate for Middlesex District Attorney David Solet is calling for stronger protections for older adults against financial exploitation, criticizing incumbent DA Marian Ryan for failing to prosecute one of Middlesex County’s most egregious cases of elder exploitation and for failing to advocate for stronger laws that would better protect vulnerable seniors. 

Pointing to the case of Dr. Louis Braida, a renowned MIT professor from Arlington whose home health aide admitted in civil court to improperly exerting undue influence over him and taking more than $1.4 million from him, Solet said the case underscores serious shortcomings in both prosecution and Massachusetts law. 

“Protecting our seniors from financial exploitation is one of the most solemn responsibilities of the District Attorney’s Office. We can and should do more. I will,” said David Solet. “Older adults deserve to know that when someone takes advantage of their diminished capacity for personal gain, there will be consequences. In the Braida case, there weren’t. 

Dr. Braida, a distinguished scientist and longtime MIT professor, suffered a series of strokes later in life. According to admissions made by his home health aide as part of a lawsuit brought by Braida’s family, she consolidated control over his finances, engaged in a sexual relationship with him, received a $300,000 annual salary, took more than $1.4 million from him, and admitted she “improperly exercised undue influence and control over Dr. Braida for personal gain.” Dr. Braida died in 2022. No criminal charges have ever been filed. 

Solet noted that while states like Florida make it a crime to obtain or use the funds of an elderly or disabled person when the offender knows or reasonably should know the victim lacks the capacity to consent, Massachusetts law lacks comparable protections, making prosecutions significantly more difficult. 

“If the incumbent believes Massachusetts law is sufficient, then cases like Dr. Braida’s should be prosecuted,” Solet said. “If she believes the law is inadequate, she should be using her office to advocate for reform. Instead, she’s done neither.” 

As District Attorney, Solet said he will work with lawmakers to strengthen Massachusetts’ elder financial exploitation laws by providing prosecutors with clearer tools to hold offenders accountable, similar to protections already in place in Florida. 

He also pledged to modernize the District Attorney’s approach to protecting older adults from financial crime. 

“Today’s seniors are far more likely to lose their life savings through sophisticated online scams, cryptocurrency fraud, romance scams, or financial exploitation than someone stealing a wallet or purse,” Solet said. “The District Attorney’s Office needs to be focused on the crimes that are actually targeting seniors today. That means building expertise in investigating financial fraud, educating older adults and their families about emerging scams, and aggressively pursuing the people responsible.” 

“Every family should be able to trust that when a vulnerable parent or grandparent is exploited, the justice system will stand up for them,” Solet added. “As District Attorney, that’s exactly what I’ll do.”