Man Indicted For Stealing $500K At 2 Nassau Locations: Prosecutors

MINEOLA, NY — A Queens man has been indicted on grand larceny in which he allegedly burglarized a Plainview business and stole more than $500,000 in merchandise and cash, prosecutors said.

John Cipolla, 50, who was arraigned Thursday, pleaded not guilty.

He faces charges that include second-degree grand larceny, four counts of third-degree burglary and two counts of second-degree criminal possession of stolen property.

Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly announced that a Long Island City man was indicted on grand larceny and other charges for two 2022 commercial thefts in which the defendant allegedly burglarized Plainview businesses and stole a total of more than $500,000 in merchandise and currency.

"Over the course of three months, this defendant allegedly engaged in two conspiracies that netted him more than $500,000 in electronic merchandise and quarters," said Nassau County DA Anne Donnelly. "The defendant allegedly stole box trucks from an area business and used them to haul away the proceeds of his theft to storage facilities in Queens."

On July 31, 2022, Cipolla and other unidentified people, according to Donnelly, allegedly entered ADI Global Distribution located at 101 Fairchild Avenue in Plainview, disabled an alarm system, and stole $285,000 worth of electronics.

In another separate criminal conspiracy, on the evening of October 22, 2022, Cipolla and co-defendant Jose De La Cruz, of Ozone Park, allegedly broke into a Nassau County Auxiliary Police booth at 831 Hempstead Avenue in Hempstead and stole two police radios. Just a half hour later, Cipolla, De La Cruz, and unknown others allegedly met at a Home Depot parking lot on Jericho Turnpike and communicated with one another.

Later that evening, Cipolla and another unknown individual allegedly stole two U-Haul Trucks from a U-Haul at 121 Jericho Turnpike. Cipolla and De La Cruz then allegedly met at a Brinks location at 100 Commercial Street in Plainview where they stole approximately $250,000 in quarters from the location, Donnelly said.

Cipolla and De La Cruz allegedly transported the stolen currency from Nassau County in the U-Haul vehicles to storage units located in Queens.

Bail was set at $1 million cash, $2 million bond, and $4 million partially secured bond. As an eligible persistent felony offender, Cipolla faces up to 25 years to life in prison if convicted. He is due back in court on December 1.