NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) – A Long Island City man was charged for allegedly being involved in a series of thefts over the span of three months stealing over half a million dollars worth of goods from businesses, prosecutors said.
John Cipolla, 50, allegedly along with another unidentified person broke into ADI Global Distribution on Fairchild Avenue in Plainview on Long Island on July 31, 2022, and disabled the alarm system stealing electronics valued at $285,000.
A few months later, on Oct. 22, Cipolla and Jose De La Cruz, 49, allegedly broke into a Nassau County Auxiliary Police booth on Hempstead Avenue, stealing two police radios.
Within the hour, the pair, along with others, gathered at a nearby Home Depot parking lot.
That same evening, the indictment revealed that Cipolla and an accomplice stole two U-Haul trucks from a location on Jericho Turnpike.
Later on, Cipolla and De La Cruz are claimed to have raided a Brinks site on Commercial Street, getting away with around $250,000 in quarters.
The coins were then allegedly transported in the U-Haul trucks to storage facilities in Queens.
"Over three months, this defendant allegedly executed conspiracies that accumulated over $500,000 in stolen goods," Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly said.
Cipolla was arrested on July 6, by Nassau County Police and the NYPD. He is now being charged with grand larceny, burglary, criminal possession of stolen property, criminal mischief and conspiracy.
With bail set at $1 million cash or bond options, Cipolla could face a life sentence if convicted.
De La Cruz was arrested the same day in Glen Cove and is currently awaiting his arraignment.
