HOWARD BEACH MAN SENTENCED IN $172,OOO THEFT FROM FLEET BANK

Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown today announced that a Howard Beach man, previously convicted of stealing $172,000 from Fleet Bank in June 1996, was sentenced today to a prison term of 1 to 3 years.

District Attorney Brown identified the defendant as Angelo Ruggiero, Jr., 26, of 164-40 91st Street, Howard Beach. The defendant was the manager and operator of Sutphin Auto Parts located at 120-01 Sutphin Boulevard in Jamaica. The defendant was convicted after a jury trial of Grand Larceny in the Second Degree and Criminal Possession of Stolen Property in the Second Degree,. He was sentenced today by State Supreme Court Justice William G. Giaccio who presided at the trial. The sentence will be executed on July 20th.

According to the testimony at trial, on June 28, 1996, Fleet Bank mistakenly deposited a number of checks in the amount of $172,000 into the defendant's business account at the bank. Over the next several days from July 1st to July 3rd, the defendant wrote and cashed four checks in varying amounts, totaling $167,000. When Fleet Bank discovered their mistake, they repeatedly attempted to contact the defendant who refused to answer their communications. Fleet Bank then brought the matter to the police.

Assistant District Attorney Gregory C. Pavlides of District Attorney Brown's Organized Crime and Rackets Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Brian J. Mich and the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney for Investigations Robert D. Alexander, tried the case.