New Windsor Con Artist Sentenced After Being Arrested In Nanuet

By Rockland Daily Staff

A New Windsor man, Michael Benedetto, was sentenced on Thursday to 4-12 years in prison and ordered to pay $50,000 in restitution after scamming a woman out of tens of thousands of dollars.  

As alleged in documents filed and statements made in court, in June of 2020 Benedetto met a woman online and shortly therereafter starting asking her for money. Benedetto told the victim that he needed money for various reasons, including his sick dog, medical procedures, and moving costs.

The victim reached out to authorities when Benedetto's requests for money became more frequent, and an investigation revealed that Benedetto had been lying to the victim to continue getting money and stole property in excess of $50,000. 

On July 19th, 2023, 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 in Nanuet,  where he was subsequently placed under arrest and charged with Grand Larceny in the Second Degree.

Benedetto pled guilty in June of 2024 and then failed to appear for his sentencing in court, 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.

“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.”