Cops: So-called psychic duped woman out of thousands

A psychic promised to rid a woman of her family curse, but instead, investigators said she took the woman for every penny she had.

Orange County deputies arrested the so-called psychic, "Peaches Stevens," earlier this month.

Investigators said over the course of seven months, she took cash, jewelry and gift cards from a Dr. Phillips woman, while promising to help purge her family's bad luck.

The victim told WFTV's Bianca Castro that her bad luck cost her thousands. The victim said she found a coupon for a $20 psychic reading at the Meditation and Healing Center in Windermere, but seven months later, she was out $136,000.

During those seven months, Priti Mahalanobis said she lived in fear, all stemming from her search for answers inside the "Peaches Stevens" psychic business.

"I wasn't suspicious. I didn't suspect she was a con artist," Mahalanobis said.

It was Mahalanobis' first time to a psychic. She said Stevens, also known as Mrs. Starr, blamed Mahalanobis' problems, which included a struggling business, on a curse. She told Mahalanobis that the curse would continue if she didn't follow strange, expensive rituals, such as sleeping with 11 $100 bills, along with a grapefruit, under her bed.

"Did she keep that money? Yes, oh yes," Mahalanobis said.

Somehow, Mahalanobis said, Stevens managed to convince her that if she told anyone about their visits the curse would continue.

Mahalanobis gave Stevens $65,000 in jewelry, bought $19,000 tabernacles for the rituals, and even opened up credit card accounts.

"The fear of that evil was just so, so, so strong," Mahalanobis said.

But after Mahalanobis struggling business went broke, she finally confessed to her family, who convinced her that she was the victim of a scam.

Stevens was arrested on charges of conning someone out of property by using lies. Windermere officials said she wasn't even licensed to operate a fortune-telling business.

"She committed many crimes, many, many crimes. And she should be responsible," Mahalanobis said.

The Meditation and Healing Center is closed. WFTV called the 877 number on the door, and the person who answered told us Stevens was unavailable.

Neighboring businesses said they haven't seen Stevens for months.

Obtaining property by fraud is a felony. Stevens is out of jail Wednesday night after posting a $22,000 bail.