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Overcast Grand jury dismisses charges against Johnny O
Former Rescue Ink member ‘vindicated’ after last year’s arrest
A grand jury last week dismissed grand larceny charges against former Rescue Ink member John “Johhny O” Orlandini, following allegations that he stole $15,000 worth of donation checks from the Long Beach-based animal rescue organization last year.
“I believe that justice has been served,” Orlandini said. “The sad part about the whole thing was I couldn’t publicly do the rescue work that I love to do so much.”
Orlandini was arrested last May, after police said that between June 2012 and February 2013, he cashed 141 donation checks made out to Rescue Ink, and kept the funds for himself. According to police, the discrepancy was discovered in March 2013, when a donor to Rescue Ink requested a receipt for a donation, but there was no record of the check being deposited into Rescue Ink’s accounts. Police said that an investigation revealed that Orlandini had cashed the checks.
Orlandini said that he explained to the grand jury the process Rescue Ink had for depositing checks, and claimed that that the financial system the organization used was flawed.
“The money was used for the shelter and the shelter only,” he said. “I wouldn’t take candy from a baby. I have kids and grandkids; I don’t want them to know me as a thief.”
The grand jury dismissed the charges against Orlandini on April 9, and the case was sealed, so no details of the case or the grand jury proceedings were made available to the public. A spokesman for Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice declined to comment.
In 2011, Rescue Ink was offered a one-year, $15,000 contract with the city to operate the defunct Long Beach Animal Shelter, which had closed in 2007. Orlandini, 49, a longtime Long Beach resident, was largely credited with founding the shelter after he offered to provide Rescue Ink’s services. The city chose not to renew its contract with the organization in 2013. On April 16, the City Council voted unanimously to enter into a contract with another animal rescue group, Posh Pets Rescue, to operate the shelter.
