Naples contractor gets 7 years for stealing $364K from NJ homeowners

A Naples contractor was sentenced to seven years in prison on Friday, Oct. 27, for stealing nearly $365,000 from six victims in Monmouth County, New Jersey — one of whom was a member of the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office, authorities said.  

Richard Vincent Leli, Jr. was sentenced to prison for second-degree theft . To avoid a conflict of interest in Monmouth County, the case was moved to Ocean County, according to the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office.

This isn't Leli's first — or last — run-in with the law. 

A previous Naples Daily News report showed Leli, 48, has a history of defrauding homeowners in Florida. And, currently, Leli is accused of theft in Florida and New York, according to a statement from the prosecutor's office.

Last month, Leli was indicted and extradited from Florida, according to the statement. 

Once Leli is released from prison in New Jersey, authorities will transport Leli to New York on a detainer, where he faces a theft charge in the amount of $300,000, according to the statement.

Members of the New York Police Department's Financial Crimes Task Force were present at Leli's sentencing in Ocean County last Friday, according to the prosecutor's office. 

James Conroy, a detective with the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office, investigated the case, according to the statement. Martin Anton prosecuted the case.