Father and son allegedly caught on camera stealing in Brookhaven Town Hall
A father and son are facing petit larceny charges after allegedly stealing a cordless hammer drill and battery pack from Brookhaven Town Hall after they filed a permit application, according to Suffolk police and town officials.
Police said they arrested Nikitas Margiellos, 51, of West Babylon, and Demetrios Margiellos, 26, of Bay Shore, at 11:20 a.m. Thursday.
Their cases weren't listed online in state court records Friday and the two couldn't be reached immediately by phone.
A spokeswoman for Suffolk prosecutors said both are scheduled to appear in First District Court in Central Islip on April 3 for the misdemeanor case. If convicted, they face up to a year in jail.
The alleged theft, which officials said a town hall security system caught on camera, occurred Tuesday after the pair appeared at the town clerk's office to apply for a permit to operate a food truck, Brookhaven Supervisor Dan Panico said Friday.
He said the drill and battery pack belonged to a private contractor who had been repairing a ceiling on the third floor.
In the video, which town officials shared with Newsday, one man appears to grab an object while walking down a hallway and then passes the object behind his back to the other man.
The contractor had walked away before the two men allegedly took the items, Panico said.
Town officials asked the Margiellos' to return to town hall on Thursday — this time with Suffolk police waiting to arrest them, according to the supervisor. The drill allegedly was found in their car outside, he added.
“The moral of the story is that there are cameras everywhere,” Panico said. “People should think twice about engaging in criminal behavior.”
Carl MacGowan is a Long Island native who covers Brookhaven Town after having previously covered Smithtown, Suffolk County courts and numerous spot news and feature stories over his 20-plus year career at Newsday.
