LI Businessman Stole Nearly $400K From Payroll Company, Customers: DA

MONTAUK, NY — A Montauk businessman was indicted on grand larceny and identity theft charges Wednesday after he stole nearly $400,000 from a payroll company and his customers, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said.

Mark Ripolone, 35, stole the funds over a three-year period in a scheme to siphon monies from legitimate businesses, Tierney said.

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, Tierney said. The businesses were located in Montauk, and primarily did business during the busy summer months on the East End.

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 stole about $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, Tierney said.

Ripolone then allegedly used his customers’ account information to make Automated Clearing House, or 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, Tierney said.

In another fraudulent scheme, Ripolone also stole about $160,000 from a payroll company that he had contracted to do payroll for Hampton Management Group Inc., Tierney said. He is accused of stealing the 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, the DA said.

On Wednesday, Ripolone was arraigned on the indictment before Supreme Court Justice John B. Collins; he was charged with three counts of second-degree grand larceny, a felony, two counts of third-degree grand larceny, a felony, and four counts of first-degree identity theft, a felony, Tierney said.

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, the DA said.

Ripolone is due back in court on June 16 and is represented by Jeremy Scileppi; Scileppi could not immediately be reached for comment.

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

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