New York Attorney General Letitia James announced the indictment and arrest of Frank Whittaker, 56, of Kingston, NY, and his daughter Christine Ellsworth, 38, of Accord, NY. They are accused of stealing over $280,000 from an elderly victim in Ulster County. The pair allegedly gained the trust of the then-92-year-old victim by providing lawn maintenance and household assistance before accessing her checkbook and finances. Whittaker was appointed as a Power of Attorney (POA) over the victim’s finances, enabling him and Ellsworth to misappropriate her life savings.
“Scammers who manipulate vulnerable seniors are stealing savings that took a lifetime of hard work to earn,” said Attorney General James. “Instead of fulfilling their promises to take care of this victim and her home, Frank Whittaker and Christine Ellsworth abused her trust and stole her life savings.”
“This joint investigation revealed these individuals perpetuated a devious scheme to take advantage of a vulnerable individual,” stated New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James. “There was no regard for the victim’s well-being.”
Starting in 2021, Whittaker introduced his daughter to the victim as a companion. The two allegedly ingratiated themselves with the elderly woman, convincing her that their help was essential for her well-being. Whittaker persuaded the victim to grant him POA over her affairs and added himself as POA on multiple bank accounts while naming Ellsworth as successor POA.
Over the next year, they allegedly wrote themselves checks totaling over $49,000 and transferred more than $230,000 from the victim’s accounts into an account under Whittaker's name. The stolen funds were reportedly spent on personal expenses including a new pickup truck costing $57,500 and various purchases at local establishments.
Whittaker and Ellsworth were arraigned before Ulster County Judge Bryan E. Rounds on charges of Grand Larceny in the Second Degree for thefts committed between July 2021 and August 2022. If convicted, they face up to 15 years in prison.
Attorney General James highlighted ongoing efforts to protect New Yorkers from fraud: "In May, Attorney General James secured a $10.1 million settlement from two health care companies... In February... more than $650,000 from a debt collection law firm... In August 2023... $1.6 million from an online apartment finder..."
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Cheryl J. Lee with analytical support from Legal Analyst Kai Tsurumaki and forensic accounting by Forensic Auditor Kirven Bashiri.
The criminal investigation was conducted by Detectives Eamon H. Murphy and Jason Johnston under Major Investigations Unit leadership.