LI Couple Pleads Guilty To Illegal Dumping In Protected Wetlands: DA

MASTIC BEACH, NY — A Holbrook couple pleaded guilty Monday to illegally dumping solid waste in protected wetlands in Mastic Beach, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said.

Fabio Monasterolo, 51, and his wife, Judith Monasterolo, 55, of Holbrook, pleaded guilty to fourth-degree criminal mischief for unlawfully disposing broken cinder blocks and concrete near tidal wetlands in the Town of Brookhaven, Tierney said.

According to court documents and the defendants' admission during their guilty plea allocutions,
on April 23 at about 2:03 p.m., the Monasterolos illegally dumped solid waste, which included broken chunks of concrete and cinder blocks, from their black Dodge Ram pick-up truck into the wetlands adjacent to the intersection of Jefferson Drive and Grove Road in Mastic Beach, Tierney said.

That intersection and the surrounding areas are owned by the Town of Brookhaven and
abut a tidal wetland, he added.

When a witness saw what the defendants were doing, she began taking several photographs of the couple and the waste that they had dumped, the DA said. Judith Monasterolo, who was in the passenger seat of the Dodge Ram, reportedly then gave the witness two middle fingers as Fabio Monasterolo drove them away from the scene, Tierney said.

Brookhaven Town officials contacted the District Attorney’s Office and provided the photographic evidence and information regarding the dumping crime, the DA said. Detectives from the Suffolk
County District Attorney’s biological, environmental, and animal safety team began an investigation, police said.

The couple was arrested on May 1, the DA said.

On October 16, Fabio and Judith Monasterolo each pleaded guilty to fourth-degree criminal mischief, a misdemeanor, before Acting County Court Judge James McDonaugh, Tierney said.

As a condition of their plea agreements, prosecutors mandated that the Monasterolos pay the Town of Brookhaven $2,602.75 in restitution for the initial cost of clean-up for their illegal actions, fully finance a day-long clean-up of other pollution in the tidal wetlands by a Town of Brookhaven work crew, participate in a Pine Barrens reforesting initiative by personally planting over 50 trees, and issue a written apology to the citizen who captured them on camera during the commission of their crime, Tierney said.

The Monasterolos were represented by Jorge Macias, who told Patch he had no comment.

"These defendants would have escaped responsibility for dumping in our wetlands had it not been for a concerned citizen who reported them to the Town of Brookhaven after capturing them on camera during their illegal acts," said Tierney. "Thanks to our partnership with the town through our quality-of-life town coalition initiative, this couple is now an example of what will happen to those who think they can turn Suffolk County’s vibrant ecosystem into their personal junkyard."

"This couple decided to make our wetlands their personal dumping ground. As I said when they were caught on camera: we have no tolerance for illegal dumpers, and when we catch you, we will prosecute you. I want to thank District Attorney Tierney for pursuing this case and prosecuting the Monasterolos and for helping us to protect our environment,” said Brookhaven Town Supervisor Ed Romaine. “Environmental crimes are not victimless — they are crimes against our entire community, and future generations that are harmed by polluters and illegal dumpers. We are committed to protecting our environment and will not tolerate dumping anywhere."