Capital Region Man Arrested, Accused Of Stealing From the Dead
New York State Police have arrested a Capital Region man for allegedly stealing from the dead.
The victim was a woman who had passed away in December of 2023. How does one steal from the dead? Was he a relative? What was his connection to the deceased? Here's what we know of this grim story out of North Greenbush, NY.
On January 26, 2026, according to a press release, investigators were contacted by a financial institution in North Greenbush reporting fraudulent activity and a withdrawal from a deceased individual’s bank account.
Read more; Check If You Have Any Unclaimed Money In New York
The investigation determined the owner of the account in question had been deceased since December 2023. On January 22, 2026, someone allegedly deposited a forged check valued at more than $15,000, payable to an individual known to him and into an account they shared, at a financial institution in North Greenbush.
Further investigation revealed that 50-year-old Steven P. Rocque of Troy was reportedly an employee of KeyBank in Brunswick. He allegedly used his privileges as a bank employee, where the deceased victims held an account, to access the account and print legitimate counter checks.
Rocque then reportedly forged the check for the exact amount of money remaining in the deceased victim's account before depositing it at the bank in North Greenbush utilizing their ATM. Rocque was determined to have no known relationship with the deceased victim or their family outside their interactions at the bank.
Steven P. Rocque has been charged with the following:
- Grand Larceny 3rd
- Two counts of Identity Theft 1st
- Possession of a Forged Instrument 2nd
- Falsifying Business Records, 1st
- Two counts of Unlawful Possession of Personal Identification Information, 3rd
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