WORCESTER, Mass. — A Worcester County couple facing dozens of criminal charges in connection with a widespread rental fraud operation entered guilty pleas in Worcester Superior Court on Wednesday.
Russell Callahan and his wife, Linda Callahan, each pleaded guilty to 28 counts involving larceny, forgery, and financial fraud stemming from a scheme that target prospective renters across the region.
Following the pleas, Judge James Reardon sentenced Russell Callahan to two years in the Worcester County House of Correction. Linda Callahan was sentenced to four years of probation.
Addressing the court during sentencing, Judge Reardon noted that both defendants engaged in a calculated and sustained criminal effort that would ordinarily warrant incarceration for both parties. However, the court granted probation to Linda Callahan due to ongoing medical treatments for a severe health condition.
“Morally and ethically, [Linda] should be confined in jail or prison for some period of time,” Reardon stated from the bench, describing the operation as a well-thought-out, organized, and planned scheme carried out over an extended period.
The court order concludes a multi-year law enforcement and investigative review into the pair’s fraudulent property listings and illegal financial collections throughout Worcester County.
