Suffolk Husband And Wife Illegally Dumped Debris Near Tidal Wetlands: Prosecutors

RIVERSIDE, NY — A Holbrook couple has been accused of illegally dumping broken cinder blocks and concrete near tidal wetlands owned by Brookhaven Town in Mastic Beach, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney's office said.

At around 2 p.m. on April 23, Fabio Monasterolo, 51, and his wife, Judith Monasterolo, 55, were seen illegally dumping solid waste, which included broken chunks of concrete and cinder blocks, from their black Dodge Ram pickup truck, into the wetlands adjacent to the intersection of Jefferson Drive and Grove Road, according to prosecutors.

When a witness saw what the duo was doing, she snapped several photos of the couple and the waste that they had dumped, prosecutors said, adding, that Judith Monasterolo, who was in the passenger seat of the Dodge Ram, then raised two middle fingers as Fabio Monasterolo drove away, prosecutors said.

Brookhaven officials later contacted the district attorney's office and provided the photographic evidence and information regarding the dumping, according to prosecutors.

Detectives from the DA’s Biological, Environmental, and Animal Safety Team immediately began an investigation, and the pair were subsequently arrested on May 1, prosecutors said.

Brookhaven has since initiated the remediation of the protected site.

DA Ray Tierney said that using "precious wetlands as a personal junkyard is as selfish as it is destructive."

“This flagrant abuse of our delicate ecosystem is a crime against our wildlife and every law-abiding taxpayer who supports these public lands," he said.

Brookhaven Supervisor Edward Romaine said that illegal dumping in wetlands is a crime that the town takes very seriously.

"Those who commit these crimes will be caught, charged, and prosecuted to the full extent of the law,” Romaine said. “I commend the brave actions of the resident who took it upon themselves to photograph and report this activity to the Suffolk County police. Together, we are committed to protecting our environment and we will not tolerate illegal dumping happening anywhere in the Town.”

State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos said the agency does not tolerate illegal dumping of any kind particularly in Long Island’s ecologically important wetland areas.

The joint effort by DEC Environmental Conservation police officers and investigators, as well as Brookhaven, and detectives from the DA’s Biological, Environmental, and Animal Safety Team is "a prime example of how joint cooperation between state and local law enforcement agencies can hold polluters accountable.”

The couple was arraigned on Tuesday on charges of third-degree criminal mischief, a felony, as well as multiple related environmental conservation violations.

Under state law, the offenses charged are not considered bail eligible, so the defendants were released on their own recognizance. They are due back in court on June 13.

Patch has reached out to the Monasterolos' attorney, Jorge Macias of Hauppauge, for comment.