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Michael Benedetto, age 21, who is currently without a residence, was charged on Wednesday, July 19 in the town of New Windsor Justice Court with grand larceny for having defrauded a woman he had been dating, said Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler.
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, Hoovler said.
An investigation found that in June 2020, the victim was matched with Benedetto on the dating app Bumble and the two began a relationship shortly thereafter, the DA's office said.
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. His requests for money for various reasons became more frequent, the investigation found.
The investigation also revealed that Benedetto had been lying to the victim in order to induce her to continue to give him money, the DA's office said.
The victim reported a loss of some $80,000 to the Orange County Sheriff's Office.
The investigation was handled by 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.
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, the DA said.
Benedetto is scheduled to return to the Town of New Windsor Justice Court on Tuesday, July 25.
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