Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler and Sheriff Paul Arteta announced that the Orange County Joint White-Collar Crimes Taskforce has completed its investigation into the theft of approximately $80,000 from a woman who had met the perpetrator through a dating website. On July 19, 2023, Michael Benedetto, age 21, who is currently without a residence, was arrested and charged in the Town of New Windsor Justice Court with Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, for having defrauded a woman he had been dating. It is alleged that Benedetto had defrauded the victim by telling her a series of lies that induced her to give him money under false pretenses. After conducting an investigation, the Orange County Joint White Collar Crimes Task Force determined that Benedetto’s documented requests for money, which were based on a series of false statements to the victim constituted a Grand Larceny by false pretenses.
The allegations are that in June of 2020, the victim was matched with Benedetto on the dating app ‘Bumble’. The two began a relationship shortly thereafter. During that time, Benedetto told the victim that he needed money for various reasons, including his sick dog, medical procedures, and moving costs due to a new home purchase. Benedetto’s requests for money for various reasons became more frequent. Investigation revealed that Benedetto had been lying to the victim in order to induce her to continue to give him money. The victim reported a loss of approximately $80,000.00 to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.
The investigation was opened under the auspices of the Orange County Joint White Collar Crimes Task Force, which was created by District Attorney David M. Hoovler and Sheriff Paul Arteta in March 2023. Since the creation of the Task Force, other local and state law enforcement agencies have joined. Local police agencies that joined include the Town of Newburgh Police Department, the Town of Woodbury Police Department, and the Town of Warwick Police Department.
On July 19, Benedetto was located in the parking lot of the Home Depot in Nanuet, where he was subsequently placed under arrest and charged with Grand Larceny in the Second Degree. Benedetto faces up to five to 15 years in prison if convicted.
Due to recent changes in the law, bail cannot be set in the case. Benedetto was scheduled to return to the Town of New Windsor Justice Court on July 25.