Chantel Chenault
By Dan Murphy
Westchester residents, attorneys, and those in the judicial system are wondering about the case of Chantel Chenault, a caseworker with Westchester County Adult Protective Services (APS), who pleaded guilty to stealing more than $700,000 from a 95-year-old elderly dementia client under her care.
The details of the case are embarrassing for Chenault, who first withdrew $200,000 from the woman’s bank account and then went a step further, transferring $500,000 from the woman’s retirement accounts into her bank account, where Chenault withdrew the rest.
New York Attorney General Letitia James’ office prosecuted the case and, through a forensic audit, found that Chenault used the victim’s ATM card at the MGM-Empire Casino to withdraw funds.
In July, the AG’s office issued a press release, which we reported on, that included the fact that “As a result of OAG’s investigation, a guardian was appointed for the victim in April 2023. The guardian was then able to successfully secure $881,062 in restitution to the victim from Westchester County, which was used for her housing and medical needs.”
So the taxpayers of Westchester County are on the hook for the $881k that was returned to the victim. Will Chenault be able to pay the county back?
And here is the buried lead. Chenault, who pleaded guilty on June 26 to Grand Larceny in the Second Degree in Westchester County, was sentenced on Oct. 31 to Five Years’ Probation.
One attorney we spoke to was baffled that Chenault got only probation. “What is strange is that the county paid the old woman back, and the defendant got probation. The July 2 press release is not on the AG’s website, and there was no press release when she was sentenced, which is also highly unusual.
That sentence seems extremely lenient to me. Particularly because the defendant was in a fiduciary position, meaning issues and was entrusted with caring for the woman, and instead took advantage of her. And it seems like she just squandered the money away on gambling. That sounds just greedy to me. Unless she has an illness that is a death sentence, I don’t understand the sentence at all.”
According to the AG’s July release, “Chenault faces a sentence of up to six months in jail.”
We have heard that Chenault is ill, and the LoHud.com story notes that she took a medical leave of absence from her job in 2022.
The AG’s office provided no additional comments, and a check of the legal documents in the County Clerk’s database shows no new entries for Chenault’s case since 2023. We also don’t know who the judge was who oversaw the case and agreed to the probation.
And because the NYSAG’s office handled the case, there was no involvement from the Westchester DA.
Our friends at mtvnewcenter.com have been following the case, and the comments on their Facebook post included more than 100 stunned readers, with comments that include:
She is supposed to protect, not steal
Seriously, 700:G —she was supposed to protect this woman. Probation —what’s wrong with this picture…
Wow, it’s like robbing your grandma.”
For some of us who have had an unfortunate incident involving the theft of valuables from their elderly parents by social workers, this hurts even more.
It also paints a poor portrait of the thousands of social workers who provide a valuable service and don’t steal.
The debatable portion of this case involves Chenault’s illness. If she is sick, some are calling for leniency. But others believe that any illness doesn’t matter, and that if you can’t serve the time, don’t commit the crime.
More information on this case as it becomes available.
