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Terence Wolffe, age 42, of Mastic, pleaded guilty to criminal mischief and related charges in Suffolk County Court on Friday, Feb. 2 for causing thousands of dollars in damage to Nesconset’s Commerdinger County Park.
Prosecutors said Wolffe spent “a prolonged period of time” clearcutting over 1,100 square-feet of trees and vegetation at the park beginning in April 2023, all in an attempt to make his own personal “hangout spot.”
Armed with a machete, axes, and shovels, Wolffe regularly went to an off-trail area of the park and chopped down native trees and plants and dug up ground-brush, an investigation found.
The displaced brush, tree limbs, and soil were then piled onto adjacent park land, smothering other native vegetation.
He also caused significant damage to other trees by hacking and sectioning their roots, placing others at risk of being hit by falling timber, prosecutors said.
Some areas were reportedly dug so deep that water flow was redirected from nearby wetlands into the cleared zone.
Suffolk County Park Rangers finally discovered the damage in November 2023. Wolffe was arrested the following month and charged with felony criminal mischief and multiple Environmental Conservation Law and Suffolk County code violations.
Preliminary environmental estimates put the replacement value of the felled trees and cleared plants at nearly $20,000.
That number does not account for the cost of restoring the area’s natural grade and paying for the necessary equipment and manpower, prosecutors said.
As part of his guilty plea, Wolffe is mandated to accumulate points through Suffolk County’s new “Evergreen Initiative,” meant to combat environmental destruction. Instead of simply paying a fine, violators must also take part in the actual cleanup and remediation process.
In Wolffe’s case, he must earn a total of 100 points through activities like beach cleanups, volunteering in the county’s endangered species program, and personally funding an extra 2-person park maintenance crew.
He's also required to write a personal essay about his experience, reviewing the organizations he worked with, and lessons learned from his experience.
Failure to complete the program will result in jail time.
“This is the perfect balance of what we believe is the future of combating environmental crimes. Not only will this defendant have to pay for the damage he has done, but he is also mandated to be a part of the solution or face jail time,” said Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney.
“Beyond simple remediation, this court-mandated comprehensive plan develops, cleans and adds stewards of environmental care in Suffolk County.”
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