Rochester man gets 5-10 years in car repair fraud case

Brim Bell

DOVER - A Rochester antique car repairman will spend at least five years in a New Hampshire prison for stealing thousands of dollars from customers.

Brim Bell, 48, was convicted of four felony counts of theft by deception during an October trial and could've been sentenced up to 60 years, but Strafford County Superior Court Judge Mark E. Howard on Wednesday sentenced Bell to just five-to-10 years.

Bell was found to have taken money from clients but never made promised repairs on a number of antique vehicles, mostly owned by customers from Somersworth and Strafford.

Bell's repair shop was located in Somersworth.