Woman pleads guilty to stealing account from deceased relative and is given probation

A woman in hiding has pleaded guilty in a case involving the theft of funds from her late stepfather’s estate. Cheyenne Leigh Ward, 31, pleaded guilty Friday, Feb. 11, in Alexander County Superior Court to felony obtaining property under false pretences. She was put on probation and was not given a prison sentence.

On February 25, 2021, Ward was arrested by the Alexander County Sheriff’s Office on warrants filed by Taylorsville police. Hours after his stepfather’s death, Ward forged two checks at the Taylorsville State Employees Credit Union office for a total of $1,700 in the deceased’s account. He had died the same morning.

Ward was initially charged with two counts of obtaining property under false pretences, two counts of uttering a forged instrument, and misdemeanor theft. Taylorsville police investigated the case and, at the time of his arrest, had been trying to locate Ward for over a week.

Following the guilty plea, the judge sentenced Ward to three years of a supervised probation violation and ordered him to attend drug counseling sessions with drug tests to be performed monthly. She will also have to perform 100 hours of community service and pay compensation. The restitution was designated by his grandfather’s estate to be donated to Alexander County Schools Special Olympics.

[Story and photo courtesy of Rick Gilbert, WACB]