Subscribe
82°
Potentially Fatal Virus Discovered In Suffolk County, No Vaccine Or Treatment
A rare, potentially fatal virus carried by ticks has been detected in New York for the first time.
The case of Bourbon virus was confirmed in Suffolk County by researchers at Stony Brook University, according to a Tuesday, July 21 announcement.
Michael Larkin, 67, survived his encounter with the virus, which has no treatment, no commonly available test, and no vaccine, WCBS reported. He was working outdoors when a lone star tick infected him.
Because there is no simple test for Bourbon virus and its symptoms mirror Lyme disease, it is difficult to identify and had only been confirmed in fo…
LI Ponzi Schemer Took Disney, Turkey Trips In $600K Fraud Scheme, Dodges Prison: Authorities
An investment schemer who targeted New York’s Haitian community and stole more than $600,000 has avoided prison time after pleading guilty, authorities said.
Marc Henry Menard, 43, got five years of probation and was barred from trading securities for five years, the New York Attorney General’s office announced Thursday, July 30.
Menard, a former Mineola resident, used the money he stole to travel to Turkey, Puerto Rico, and Disney World, buy a Mercedes-Benz and a BMW, and splurge on Gucci and Louis Vuitton items, investigators said.
To his customers in Nassau, Suffolk, and Rockland counti…
Year-Long Escape For Suffolk DWI Fugitive Who Badly Injured Two Ends With Arrest: Cops
The law finally caught up with a young Long Island drunk driver who ran from a serious car crash in March 2025, police said.
Santiago Barreto Gomez, 20, of Riverhead, was arrested Thursday, July 30 and hit with a dozen charges, the Southampton Town Police Department said.
Barreto Gomez was involved in a two-car crash on Oak Avenue near Albany Street on March 7, 2025, in Flanders, cops said. Two people in the other vehicle suffered extensive injuries, while Barreto Gomez fled the scene, police said.
Following a “detailed investigation,” Barreto Gomez was arrested with the assistance of seve…
Cocaine Found In Suffolk Man’s Second DWI In Five Months: Police
A young Long Island drunk driver was busted for the second time in five months early Thursday morning, July 30, this time with cocaine, police said.
Seven Smith, 22, of Southampton, was pulled over on East Montauk Highway near Canoe Place Road in Hampton Bays around 4:30 a.m. Thursday, the Southampton Town Police Department said.
Cops stopped Smith for a traffic violation, then determined he was driving drunk, authorities said. Additionally, officers found cocaine in Smith’s possession, according to police.
Smith was charged with felony drug possession, DWI, and multiple traffic violations…
Mom, Daughter Ran $160K Retail NY Theft Ring, Stashed Items In Surprising Spot: Police
A mother and daughter operated a coordinated retail theft ring across Long Island, the Hudson Valley, and New York City, authorities said Thursday, July 30.
Maria Betances, 47, and Leslie Cruz, 24, had nearly $160,000 worth of stolen goods and $30,000 cash at their homes in Valley Stream and Queens, respectively, according to the Queens District Attorney’s office.
The duo operated the scheme for months, directing at least four burglars to hit stores in Nassau, Westchester, and Rockland counties, along with Queens and Staten Island, according to New York State Police.
Betances also ran the …
Sexually Explicit Comments To Students Get Suffolk Driving Instructor Fired, Arrested: Police
A Long Island driving instructor made sexually explicit and offensive comments to his students during lessons, police said Thursday, July 30.
Joseph Klein, 66, was arrested Wednesday, July 29 after an investigation into his activities at Elite Driving of Long Island in Hauppauge, the Suffolk County Police Department said.
Klein, of Farmingdale, made the comments to male students between Monday, July 6 and Wednesday, July 22, according to investigators.
Driving school owner Asif Khan told News 12 Long Island that Klein had just been hired recently, then canned last week after the company le…
LI Middle School Weed Gummy Case: Dealer Cuts Plea Deal And Faces Deportation, Authorities Say
A Long Island drug dealer admitted selling weed gummies to a middle school student, eventually sending 12 children to a local hospital, authorities said Thursday, July 30.
Wilmer Castillo Garcia, 23, pleaded guilty to third-degree drug possession and child endangerment in exchange for a two-year prison term, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office said.
Castillo Garcia, of Mastic, is a Guatemalan native and will face deportation after serving his sentence, according to authorities.
His legal problems began in March 2025, when a dozen students at William Floyd Middle School in Moriche…
Second Man Charged In $74K Forged US Treasury Check Scheme At NY Capital One
A second man has been charged in connection with a scheme that allegedly used a forged U.S. Treasury check to steal more than $74,000 from a Capital One bank in New York, police announced Wednesday, July 29.
Laron McCravey, 40, of Freeport, is accused of acting in concert with Dwayne S. Campbell during the June 12, 2024 incident at the Capital One branch on West Sunrise Highway in Valley Stream, according to Nassau County Police.
Campbell, 40, of Springfield Gardens, allegedly deposited the fraudulent U.S. Treasury check at the bank, causing a loss exceeding $74,000, as Daily Voice pr…
