CARMEL — A Brooklyn woman has been charged with grand larceny after allegedly scamming a Carmel resident out of $500,000 over the course of seven years.
The victim, who came forward last year, told investigators she had befriended the suspect while teaching in New York City. She believed the money she sent over the years would go toward college tuition, medical treatments, and housing for the woman’s children.
Putnam County Sheriff Brian Hess said investigators spent the last eight months gathering and reviewing financial and phone records. Their efforts led to the arrest of 26-year-old Natasha Mansfield of Brooklyn.
Mansfield was taken into custody on Thursday and arraigned in Putnam Valley Court. Due to New York’s bail reform laws, she was released without bail while awaiting future court proceedings.
The grand larceny charge is a felony under New York State law and carries a maximum penalty of seven years in prison if convicted.
