A Steuben County woman has pleaded guilty to federal charges for her role in a years-long fraud scheme that targeted an elderly neighbor and drained hundreds of thousands of dollars from the victim’s accounts.
U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo said 46-year-old Nahtahna Castner pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. The charges carry a mandatory minimum sentence of two years in prison, a maximum penalty of 22 years, and a fine of up to $250,000.
According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas M. Testani, who is prosecuting the case, Castner and a co-conspirator carried out the scheme between July 2020 and February 2023.
Authorities said Castner had gained the trust of an elderly and vulnerable neighbor who was over 90 years old. Using that position of trust, the co-conspirator obtained access to the victim’s banking information. Castner and the co-conspirator then allegedly withdrew large amounts of cash from ATMs, initiated wire transfers into Castner’s personal bank account, and made purchases using the victim’s debit card.
In total, the pair conducted approximately $252,672.97 in unauthorized transactions. Over the course of the scheme, the victim’s savings reportedly dropped from about $283,954.95 to just $99.59.
Prosecutors also said the two used the victim’s personal identifying information to apply for three credit cards in the victim’s name. The cards were then used to make additional purchases, causing further losses to three financial institutions totaling several thousand dollars.
The case is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, led by Special Agent-in-Charge Philip Tejera, and the New York State Department of Financial Services, under Acting Superintendent Kaitlin Asrow.
Sentencing is scheduled for June 9 before Judge Siragusa.
