Jury Convicts Ulster County Woman, Son Of Defrauding Elderly Relative: DA

ULSTER COUNTY, NY — A jury has convicted two county residents who had been charged with “ripping off” an elderly relative, prosecutors said.

On Sept. 22, an Ulster County jury convicted Stephenie Melton, 53, of Poughkeepsie, of one count of third-degree grand larceny.

Melton’s son, Travis Pettit, 29, of Highland, was convicted of two counts of second-degree forgery, and one count of first-degree identity theft.

They are scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 4.

Melton and Pettit had entered “not guilty” pleas, and took their cases to trial.

The 78-year-old victim, who was Melton’s mother and Pettit’s grandmother, passed away in June while the case was pending, according to the Ulster County District Attorney’s office.

The victim, a Gardiner resident, suffered a stroke in 2022, and Melton was granted access to her bank account to take care of her financial needs and obligations, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors said Melton used the account to make unauthorized online purchases for herself, and made wire transfers to herself and her son’s girlfriend, causing the victim to lose “thousands of dollars.”

The bank alerted Ulster County Adult Protective Services, prosecutors said.

By September 2023, the victim’s account for over two decades “had only 36 cents left,” prosecutors said. The victim had deposited more than $20,000 in income from social security, an annuity payment of $6,566.87 and a settlement payment exceeding $16,000, according to the district attorney’s office.

Pettit, the victim’s grandson, was accused of insuring five vehicles, owned by him and his girlfriend, under the victim’s insurance policy without her knowledge or consent. Prosecutors said he forged his grandmother’s signature to obtain insurance coverage.

Ulster County District Attorney Emmanuel C. Nneji said of the case, “This type of abuse is made worse by the fact that it was done by the victim’s daughter and grandson, especially during a most vulnerable time in her life.”

“We must put a stop to such greed; our elderly deserve to enjoy the benefits of their savings and lifetime of hard work,” Nneji added.