Melanie Bergstedt pleads guilty to theft of $250G from the Iroquois Springs Camp in Commack
Commack-based Iroquois Springs runs a summer camp in the Catskills community of Rock Hill, pictured, and a winter camp in Dix Hills, according to its website. Credit: Google Maps
A Commack woman pleaded guilty Wednesday to a charge of stealing $250,000 over four years from customers' accounts while she worked at a Commack-based youth camp, prosecutors said.
Melanie Bergstedt, 47, had faced a second-degree grand larceny charge for the thefts between 2016 and 2020 from accounts with the Iroquois Springs Camp, according to the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office.
Prosecutors said Bergstedt diverted customer’s payments into other bank accounts under similar names while she worked at the camp. Authorities said the accounts were opened without the owner of the camp’s knowledge.
Iroquois Springs runs a summer camp in the Catskills community of Rock Hill and a winter camp in Dix Hills, according to its website.
Bergstedt’s attorney and the owner of the Iroquois Springs camp each declined to comment.
“This defendant placed her own greed above the welfare of children by stealing money earmarked for a summer camp and pocketed it for her own personal use,” Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said in a statement.
“If you steal from local businesses, you are also harming the Suffolk County community at large," Tierney said. "Accordingly, you will be held to account for your actions and legally forced to repay the money you stole.”
Suffolk County Supreme Court Justice John B. Collins ordered Bergstedt to pay restitution or otherwise face between three to 15 years in prison. She is scheduled to be sentenced May 8.
John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.
