DA: West Babylon Salvage Company Involved in Recycling Scheme

The owner of a West Babylon salvage company is among three people who have been arrested for their involvement in a recycling scheme, the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office announced late Wednesday night. 

Joseph DeMatteo, 72, the owner and operator of DeMatteo Salvage is charged with grand larceny, officials said. 

William A. Stegemann, 55, of Lindenhurst, and Michael Dalessandro, 43, of East Patchogue, managerial employees at a Medford-based garbage carter were also involved in the illegal sale of recyclable paper and cardboard collected at curbside from Smithtown homeowners, officials said. 

According to District Attorney Thomas Spota, Stegemann and Dalessandro, employed by Jody Enterprises Inc., were supposed to deliver the collected material to the Smithtown recycling plant, but they instead diverted the Smithtown cardboard and paper for under-the-counter cash payments from DeMatteo, of West Islip. 

“We have evidence these suspects have been profiting at the expense of Smithtown taxpayers by depriving the town of recycling revenue for at least the past two years,” Spota said.

Jody Enterprises, which recently inked a 10-year trash collecting contract with the Town of Babylon, currently hauls trash for more than 30,000 homes in Brookhaven, Huntington, Islip and Smithtown.

All three men are charged with second degree grand larceny and they are due to be arraigned Thursday morning in First District Court in Central Islip. 

The DA's Office said it would release more information on the alleged crimes during a press conference Thursday afternoon. Stick with Patch for the latest.