49°
Frank Whittaker, 56, of Kingston, and his daughter, Christine Ellsworth, 39, of Accord, were sentenced to probation and ordered to pay restitution in Ulster County Court on Tuesday, March 4.
The daddy-daughter duo gained the victim’s trust by helping with yard work and household tasks, according to the New York Attorney General’s office. Over time, Whittaker convinced the woman to grant him Power of Attorney over her finances.
But instead of managing her money responsibly, he and Ellsworth wrote themselves checks and transferred large sums of money from the victim’s bank and investment accounts into Whittaker’s personal account, prosecutors said.
Between July 2021 and August 2022, they drained over $230,000 from the woman’s savings, spending it on a brand-new GMC pickup truck, valued at $57,500, casino withdrawals at Turning Stone and Saratoga Casino Hotel, shopping at Walmart, jewelry stores, and florists, and thousands of dollars at restaurants.
Whittaker and Ellsworth were arrested in August 2024, and investigators recovered $92,000 of the victim’s stolen money from Whittaker’s bank account.
New York Attorney General Letitia James called the crime “heartless” and said her office will continue to protect vulnerable seniors.
“Scamming vulnerable seniors out of their savings that took a lifetime of hard work to earn is heartless,” James said. “Whittaker and Ellsworth maliciously gained the trust of an innocent, elderly woman and stole her life savings to treat themselves…”
Whittaker pleaded guilty to grand larceny in November 2024. On Tuesday, he was sentenced to five years of probation and ordered to repay $192,000 in stolen funds, including the seized $92,000.
Ellsworth pleaded guilty to petit larceny and was sentenced to three years of probation. She is banned from working with the elderly during her probation period.
Click here to follow Daily Voice White Plains and receive free news updates.
