MONTAUK BUSINESSMAN ARRESTED FOR GRAND LARCENY

(SUFFOLK COUNTY, N.Y.) – Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney today announced the arrest of Mark Ripolone for allegedly stealing more than $325,000 from customers’ bank accounts and a payroll company.

“This defendant allegedly financially exploited his customers, most of them small businesses, to steal funds from their bank accounts and allegedly took money from a payroll company to pay for employees who did not exist,” said Tierney. “Thanks to our joint investigation with the East Hampton Town Police Department, the Sag Harbor Village Police Department and the New York State Police, this defendant will no longer be in a position to con others out of their hard-earned money.”

Ripolone, age 34, owned “123 Delivery,” a food delivery service, and “Hampton Management Group Inc.,” a beach service company that specialized in providing luxury beach chair set ups and decorations for special events He is alleged to have stolen more than $325,000 from his customers’ bank accounts and a payroll company over a 3-year period.

Ripolone's businesses were located in Montauk and he primarily did business on the East End of Long Island during the busy summer months. He is charged with three counts of Grand Larceny in the Second Degree and two counts Grand Larceny in the Third Degree.

Ripolone is alleged to have stolen approximately $168,000 from September 1, 2018 through October 15, 2021 by obtaining the bank account information and routing numbers of his customers' accounts for the purpose of depositing money he received on their behalf. Ripolone would then use the customers' bank account information to make ACH withdrawals from their accounts which he used to pay his credit card bills, the mortgage for his house, and his Verizon phone bill. 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 rather than having the funds available to reimburse the payroll company.

Ripolone surrendered to East Hampton Town Police and the Sag Harbor Village Police this morning and was arraigned in East Hampton Justice Court. His offenses are considered non-bail eligible under New York State law and he was released on his own recognizance. Ripolone is due back in East Hampton Justice Court on July 7 to face two counts of Grand Larceny in the Second Degree and two counts of Grand Larceny in the Third Degree. He is due back in Sag Harbor Justice Court on July 8 to face one count of Grand Larceny in the Second Degree.

This was a joint investigation with 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.

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 Donna Planty of the Financial Crimes Bureau under the supervision of Bureau Chief Lucie Kwon.

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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.

William J. Lindsay County Complex • Building 77 • 725 Veterans Memorial Highway, Hauppauge, NY 11788

(631) 853-4169 | SuffolkCountyNY.gov/DA