A GRIEVING mom has told how she forked out more than $5,000 on a headstone for her dead son before she revealed that the memorial was never installed.

Luz Vasquez, of New Jersey, claimed she didn’t get a refund following the ordeal.

Her son Chad Stuart, 31, was gunned down outside a bar following an argument with former Marine Walter Gilliano in October 2022.

Cops found a Glock gun at the scene and Gilliano, 25, has since been indicted by a grand jury on a murder charge.

Vasquez claimed that following Stuart’s funeral, she received several calls from Gregory J Stefan Jr about a headstone appointment, per NJ.com.

She alleged that he proposed a deal where she would save $3,000 if she agreed.

Vasquez told the Daily Voice: “He was a professional man, and seemed sympathetic.”

She handed him a check for $5,775 but claimed the headstone was never fitted.

She said she didn’t receive any replies from Stefan when she asked him about the status of her order.

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Realizing she had been scammed, Vasquez said: “I was physically ill.

“I was sick to my stomach: Migraines, nausea. I really didn’t know what to do.”

Cops said Stefan had already cashed in Vasquez’s check.

Stefan has been accused of scamming families out of thousands of dollars across Pennsylvania and New Jersey, per prosecutors.

He faces 280 charges in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, per the ABC affiliate WPVI.

Jack Stollsteimer, the Delaware County District Attorney, warned: “This guy, Greg Stefan, is not a bad businessman, he’s a crook.

“He has robbed people. Over 69 victims have been identified so far, over $200,000 worth of money he’s stolen from these people.”

Other widows have claimed they splashed out thousands of dollars on a headstone before being told that it could take months for the tribute to be delivered.

Investigators said: “The monetary loss does not calculate the tremendous emotional turmoil experienced by these bereaved victims, who simply wanted to honor their deceased.”