Michael Benedetto Sentenced to 4-12 Years in Prison for Scamming Woman that he met Online

 Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler announced that Michael Benedetto, age 33, of New Windsor, was sentenced in Orange County Court to four (4) to twelve (12) years in prison and ordered to pay $50,000 in restitution relative to his previous guilty plea to Grand Larceny in the Second Degree.  Benedetto pled guilty in July, 2024 and subsequently failed to appear for sentencing, resulting in a bench warrant being issued.  At the sentencing proceedings, the Court imposed an enhanced sentence based on Benedetto’s violations of his plea agreement.

As alleged in documents filed and statements made in court, 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.  On July 19th, 2023, at approximately 11:10 AM, with the assistance of the Town of Clarkstown Police Department, Village of Spring Valley Police Department, the New York State Police, and the Hudson Valley Crime Analysis Center, Benedetto was located in the parking lot of the Home Depot, located in Nanuet, NY, where he was subsequently placed under arrest and charged with Grand Larceny in the Second Degree.

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.  The Task Force includes investigators from the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the New York State Department of Financial Services, the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance and several other local police agencies including the Town of Newburgh Police Department, the Village of Goshen Police Department, the Town of New Windsor Police Department, the Town of Crawford Police Department, the Town of Wallkill Police Department,  the Town of Woodbury Police Department, and the Town of Warwick Police Department.  The Task Force was created to focus on enhancing the investigation and prosecution of public corruption and financial crimes.  The Task Force’s mandate includes the investigation of residential contractor fraud; crimes involving public integrity, public corruption, and ethics violations; embezzlement and other complex theft cases, crimes against revenue; wage theft and labor law violations.

At the plea proceedings, Benedetto admitted to stealing property in excess of $50,000.

District Attorney Hoovler thanked the Orange County Sheriff’s Office Investigators for their investigation and the arrest of Benedetto, as well as the Town of Clarkstown Police Department, Village of Spring Valley Police Department, the New York State Police, and the Hudson Valley Crime Analysis Center.

“This defendant violated the trust of the victim and enriched himself at her expense,” said District Attorney David M. Hoovler. “Cases like this one are incredibly difficult to investigate and I am grateful to Sheriff Paul Arteta, and the other police agencies who have joined the Joint White Collar Crimes Task Force for recognizing the substantial manpower and commitment necessary to pursue complicated financial fraud cases.  The substantial sentence imposed in this case accounts for this defendant’s criminal actions, as well as his disregard for the criminal justice system.”

Sheriff Arteta said, “With the sentencing now complete, justice has taken a decisive step. While no sentence can fully undo the damage caused, this outcome sends a clear message: financial exploitation—especially when built on trust—will be met with consequences. I’m proud of the teamwork behind this investigation and grateful for the relentless pursuit of accountability shown by everyone involved.”

The case is being prosecuted by Chief Trial Assistant District Attorney Richard Moran, who also aided in the investigation of the case.

This criminal charge is merely an allegation that a defendant has committed a violation of the criminal law, and it is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the State of New York’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.