A former Montauk resident was sentenced to three to nine years in prison for stealing nearly $400,000 over three years in a scheme to siphon money from legitimate businesses.
Between September 2018 and October 2021, Mark Ripolone stole approximately $225,000 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 used his customers’ specific account information to make ACH withdrawals from their accounts that paid for his personal expenses, including credit card debts, a home mortgage payment, and Verizon phone bills.
Between April and May 2020, Ripolone also stole $160,000 from a payroll company with whom he had been contracted to do payroll. He stole this money by having payroll money transferred to his personal bank account when he did not have any funds available to reimburse the company.
On October 24, 2023, Ripolone, 36, pleaded guilty before Supreme Court Justice John B. Collins to three counts of Grand Larceny in the Second Degree (all Class C felonies) and two counts of Grand Larceny in the Third Degree (both Class D felonies). Ripolone paid an initial $30,000 in restitution but failed to continue making any payments afterwards. In addition, Ripolone was arrested twice in October 2024 for allegedly stealing wallets from the lockers in the men’s locker room of a Westchester gym.
On November 12, 2024, Ripolone pleaded guilty to two counts of Petit Larceny in Westchester County and was sentenced to six months in jail.
On December 2, 2024, Justice Collins sentenced the defendant to three to nine years in prison. Collins also signed Restitution Judgement Orders totaling $113,379 on behalf of East End Rotisserie, Paychex, Inc. and American Express.
“Theft will not be tolerated in Suffolk County,” said Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney. “Instead of devoting his efforts to the honest repayment of his victims, this defendant just chose to steal more. He can now reflect on that choice in prison.”