DA: East Moriches man gets probation for stealing from contractor

An East Moriches man who admitted to stealing $75,000 from a contractor was sentenced Thursday to 5 years of probation after pleading guilty to grand larceny and repaying the money, the Nassau district attorney's office said.

Scott Brown, 51, of East Moriches, owned Retail Renovation LLC. in New Jersey when he accepted the money from a Long Island contractor to buy and install high-end windows in a new home in Lido Beach. He had lied when he told the contractor he was an authorized window dealer, but instead of doing the work, bank records showed he used the funds to pay personal expenses, including credit card bills, fishing gear, restaurants, trips to Florida, gas and business supplies, prosecutors had said.

Brown had faced a maximum of 5 to 15 years in prison, but he pleaded guilty to second-degree grand larceny and repaid the contractor in January. His attorney declined to comment Thursday.