Man Scammed Woman He Met Through Bumble Dating App Out Of $50K: DA

HUDSON VALLEY, NY — A con artist who scammed a woman out of tens of thousands of dollars will be off the dating market for some time.

Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler announced that 33-year-old Michael Benedetto, of New Windsor, was sentenced on Thursday to four to 12 years in prison, and ordered to pay $50,000 in restitution, after his previous guilty plea to second-degree grand larceny.

Benedetto pleaded guilty to stealing property in excess of $50,000 in July of 2024, but failed to appear for sentencing, resulting in a bench warrant being issued. During sentencing proceedings, the court imposed an enhanced sentence based on his violations of the plea agreement.

According to court documents, in June of 2020, the victim was matched with Benedetto on the dating app "Bumble," and the two soon began a relationship. 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. The victim told authorities that Benedetto's requests for money became more frequent.

An investigation found that Benedetto had been lying to the victim in order to convince her to continue to give him money. On July 19, 2023, at 11:10 a.m., with the help of the Town of Clarkstown Police Department, the Village of Spring Valley Police Department, the New York State Police, and the Hudson Valley Crime Analysis Center, Benedetto was found in the parking lot of the Home Depot, in Nanuet, where he was arrested and charged with second-degree grand larceny.

"This defendant violated the trust of the victim and enriched himself at her expense," Hoovler said. "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."

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, the Village of Spring Valley Police Department, the New York State Police, and the Hudson Valley Crime Analysis Center.

"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," Sheriff Arteta said. "I’m proud of the teamwork behind this investigation and grateful for the relentless pursuit of accountability shown by everyone involved."

The investigation was led by the Orange County Joint White Collar Crimes Task Force, which was created by DA Hoovler and Sheriff Paul Arteta in March of 2023. The task force includes investigators from the Orange County District Attorney's Office, the Orange County Sheriff's Office, the NYS Department of Financial Services, the NYS 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 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.