SHARE

Montauk Businessman Charged With Ripping Off Customers, DA Says

A Long Island businessman has been charged with grand larceny for the alleged theft of more than $325,000 from some of his customers and a payroll company.

Money

Money

Photo Credit: Pixabay/NikolayFrolochkin

Mark Ripolone, age 34, of Montauk, was arrested on Monday, June 6, and charged with five counts of grand larceny, said Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney.

Ripolone owned “123 Delivery,” a food delivery service, and “Hampton Management Group Inc.,” a beach service company that specialized in providing luxury beach chair setups and decorations for special events, the DA's office said.

He is alleged to have stolen more than $325,000 from his customers’ bank accounts and a payroll company over a 3-year period, they added.

Ripolone's businesses were located in Montauk and he primarily did business on the East End of Long Island during the busy summer months, the DA's Office said.

Ripolone is alleged to have stolen approximately $168,000 from Sept. 2018, through Oct. 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, court records show.

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, the DA's Office said.

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., the office said.

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, the DA's Office said.

Ripolone surrendered to East Hampton Town Police and the Sag Harbor Village Police 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. 

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

to follow Daily Voice Suffolk and receive free news updates.

SCROLL TO NEXT ARTICLE