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LI Man Turned Supposed Romance Into Drug-Fueled Sex Trafficking Nightmare: Authorities
An accused Long Island sex trafficker has been hit with additional charges for controlling and raping a second victim, authorities said Friday, Oct. 2.
Torrey Brown, 36, formerly of Blue Point, gave the second victim drugs and kept her hooked, then threatened her with violence when she tried to leave, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office said.
Brown, also known as “Smiley,” was arrested in the first case in April and indicted in June, authorities said. After his first case was publicized, a second victim reported his additional actions to the Suffolk DA’s office, prosecutors said. …
Serial LI Bank Robber With ‘No Funny Business’ Demand Note Headed Back To Prison: Authorities
A serial Long Island bank robber who hit two more banks in December 2025 was sentenced Thursday, Oct. 1 to more prison time, authorities said.
Brian Blackford, 52, of Kings Park, got five and a half to 11 years in prison after admitting to the heists, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office said. The sentence was consistent with his plea deal in August.
Blackford’s name, age, hometown, and general appearance match a man who was charged in seven bank robberies and arrested in 2014, according to prior reports. Blackford spent seven years in state prison before his release in November 20…
LI Town Officials Admit Pocketing Fast-Track Bribes While Others Waited Months: Authorities
Two Long Island town officials pleaded guilty to bribery charges this week, authorities announced Thursday, Oct. 1.
Evelyn Calderon, 47, of Mastic, and Ryan Benitez, 38, of East Hampton, admitted taking bribes to fast-track building permits through the Town of East Hampton, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office said.
Building permits in East Hampton could take months for approval, and the office was understaffed and overworked, according to prosecutors and prior reporting from Newsday.
But if you knew the right people — namely Calderon and Benitez — you could get permits in days fo…
14-Year-Old LI Girl Stopped, Offered $300 By Creep In SUV: Police
A 14-year-old Long Island high school student was accosted by a bald man in an SUV, and now police are searching for the man.
The female student at Smithtown High School East was walking home Friday, Sept. 11 when she reached Lincoln Avenue and 6th Street in St. James, the Suffolk County Police Department said Thursday, Oct. 1.
At the intersection, a bald man between 40 and 50 years old driving a black Audi SUV parked in front of her, made an "inappropriate comment,” and offered her $300, police said.
Traffic cameras captured the man’s SUV on video, and he is wanted for child endangerment,…
Drunk LI Driver Who Killed Pedestrian After Stealing Car Cuts Plea Deal: Authorities
A young Long Island man who killed a pedestrian while driving drunk in a stolen car took a plea deal Wednesday, Sept. 30, authorities said.
Alexander Cerda, 23, of Bay Shore, pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter and several more charges in the death of Eric Perez in March 2025, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office said.
In exchange, Cerda is expected to get between six and 18 years in prison at his sentencing hearing on Jan. 8, 2027, according to the DA’s office.
“Every decision this defendant made on March 8, 2025, was worse than the next,” District Attorney Ray Tierney s…
Drunk Driver Slams Utility Pole Near Long Island Airport, Gets Cuffed: Police
A Long Island drunk driver slammed into a utility pole near East Hampton Airport, leading to his arrest, police said.
Fredy Tezen Paredes, 38, of Flanders, was traveling northbound on Daniels Hole Road near Hedges Lane in Wainscott around 10 p.m. Friday, Sept. 25, the East Hampton Town Police Department said.
Tezen Paredes’s crash into a utility pole sparked a police response, and officers smelled alcohol on his breath and noticed his eyes were bloodshot and glassy, authorities said.
When cops put Tezen Paredes through field sobriety tests, he “performed poorly” on the “horizontal gaze” an…
