South Carolina woman to be sentenced in January for $500,000 theft from Palmyra couple

By Dave O'Brien | Staff Writer Published:

A final sentencing date for a South Carolina woman who took $500,000 from a Palmyra couple in 2010 and used it to buy herself a house has been set for Jan. 4.

Shaunda F. Melton, 45, will be sentenced at 9 a.m. by Judge Laurie Pittman in Portage County Common Pleas Court.

Melton was indicted by a Portage County grand jury on a first-degree felony theft charge and drug charges that could have put her in prison for more than a decade. Instead, she took advantage of a plea deal and pleaded guilty to unauthorized use of property, a first-degree misdemeanor.

Melton faces a maximum of 180 days in ail and $1,000 in fines.

In court last week, Pittman told Melton, her attorney Tim Hart and Assistant Prosecutor Sean Scahill that she is "very unhappy the prosecutor dropped this down to a misdemeanor. If I were the prosecutor, I'd be trying this as a felony."

The victims, who were represented in court by attorney Ralph Megargel, have had the deed for Melton's former home in Murrell's Inlet, S.C., transferred into their name so they can try to recoup their life savings.

Megargel said one of Melton's daughters was living in the house when a real estate agent he hired tried to enter the home.

Another of Melton's daughters, Tijuana M. Czerwony, 27, of Diamond, also was charged with theft in connection with the case. As part of her mother's plea agreement, Czerwony's charges will be dropped at her sentencing hearing, also scheduled for 9 a.m. Jan. 4, the judge said.

Portage County sheriff's detectives charged Melton with theft for stealing from the elderly Palmyra couple between January and December 2010, allegedly by convincing them to sign over power of attorney to her.

Contact this reporter at 330-298-1128 or dobrien@recordpub.com

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  • Are you all that stupid?? The Prosecutors did the best they could. She wasn't guilty and they all knew it DUH!!!!!

  • this woman has a criminal history dating back to 1990 with theft. I could maybe, and I mean only maybe, swallow the prosecutor's office handling of cases if they were consistent but they are far from it. With what they put my family through I will NEVER trust the prosecutor's office or the justice system of Portage County ever again.

  • What a farce. Not only is our Justice system soft on druggies, it is soft on women criminals. This woman should go to jail for 8 to 10 years. Will she have to sell the house in South Carolina and give the money to the woman she stole it from? I will bet she does not. The poor victim will have to hire an attorney and sue to get her money back. What a farce. Crime pays in Portage County.

  • "Pittman told Melton, her attorney Tim Hart and Assistant Prosecutor Sean Scahill that she is "very unhappy the prosecutor dropped this down to a misdemeanor. If I were the prosecutor, I'd be trying this as a felony." The FACT of the matter IS that if Judge Pittman didn't agree with the plea deal she DOESN'T have to accept it. As a judge you would think she would know that instead of acting like her hands were tied. We need to educate ourselves as to what the law really involves including the fact that the whole "grand jury" indictment process is a joke. Sounds to me like someone involved in this case has something on someone in the justice system for this to be handled in this manner; especially when they have ruined a young man's life with malicious prosecution in another case... but I'm rambling and it won't do any good but further retaliation.

  • She is very lucky the Prosecutor lessened the charges. She knew exactly what she was doing and implicating her daughter? Shame on you Shaunda.