MONTAUK BUSINESSMAN INDICTED FOR GRAND LARCENY AND IDENTITY THEFT

(SUFFOLK COUNTY, N.Y.) – Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney today announced the indictment of Mark Ripolone, 35, for allegedly stealing nearly $400,000 over a three-year period in a scheme to siphon monies from legitimate businesses.  

“This defendant financially exploited his customers and a payroll company by allegedly stealing money to finance his own lifestyle,” said District Attorney Tierney. “My office will continue to prosecute white collar theft and those that would seek to steal from their fellow citizens through fraudulent pretenses.”

Ripolone was the owner of a now defunct food delivery service called “123 Delivery,” as well as a beach service company named “Hampton Management Group Inc.”  that specialized in providing luxury beach chair set-ups and decorations for special events. These businesses were located in Montauk, and primarily did business during the busy summer months on the east end of Long Island.

A joint investigation conducted by the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, the East Hampton Town Police Department, the Sag Harbor Village Police Department, and the New York State Police, revealed that from September 2018 through October 2021, Ripolone allegedly stole approximately $223,000 from several customers of “123 Delivery” after obtaining the bank account information and routing numbers of their accounts under the guise of conducting legitimate business affairs. Ripolone then allegedly used his customers’ account information to make Automated Clearing House (ACH) withdrawals from their accounts, which he used to pay his personal expenses, including credit cards debts, a home mortgage payment, and Verizon phone bills.

In another fraudulent scheme, Ripolone is also alleged to have stolen approximately $160,000 from a payroll company with which he had contracted to do payroll for Hampton Management Group Inc. He is alleged to have stolen this money by having the payroll money transferred to his personal bank account when he did not have any funds available to reimburse the payroll company.

On May 3, 2023, Ripolone was arraigned on the indictment before Supreme Court Justice, the Honorable John B. Collins, for three counts of Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, a Class C felony, two counts of Grand Larceny in the Third Degree, a Class D felony and four counts of Identity Theft in the First Degree, a Class D felony.

Under current New York State law, the offenses charged in the indictment are considered non-bail eligible, so Ripolone was released on his own recognizance. Ripolone is due back in court on June 16, 2023.  He is being represented by Jeremy Scileppi, Esq.         

If you believe you have been victimized by Mark Ripolone, please call the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office at (631) 853-5602.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Donna Planty of the Financial Crimes Bureau.

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Criminal complaints and indictments are merely accusatory instruments.

Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. No one is above the law.

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