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Woken Up by an Officer

Thu, 08/22/2024 - 11:35

After a woman called Sag Harbor Village police to report a man “passed out” in a red Cadillac on Long Wharf on the night of Aug. 14, an officer found the vehicle, which was parked but still running, and attempted several times to wake the man in the driver’s seat, police said.

Eventually, Monte Albers de Leon, 46, of New York City, awoke and agreed to take field sobriety tests, during which he allegedly had difficulty keeping his balance and staying awake. Police also said that his pupils were dilated.

A breath test was negative for alcohol, but the officer then located several small bags of an “unknown substance” in Mr. Albers de Leon’s pockets, which later tested positive for cocaine and methamphetamine, police allege.

Mr. Albers de Leon was arrested and charged with operating a vehicle while under the influence of drugs, a felony due to the defendant's prior conviction. He was also charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, a misdemeanor. The next morning, Sag Harbor Justice Carl Irace released him without bail after an overnight hold and ordered him to return on Aug. 23 for a follow-up court appearance.

Separately, an East Hampton man faces three charges, including aggravated drunken driving, a Class-E felony, after he was seen driving on the wrong side of Windmill Lane in Amagansett early in the morning of Aug. 10.

After watching the 2016 Dodge Ram cross the double yellow lines and swerve onto the grassy shoulder, police conducted a traffic stop, and said Luis Aguilar, 26, had “bloodshot and glassy” eyes, slurred speech, and was unsteady on his feet. Police reportedly also discovered a small plastic bag in Mr. Aguilar’s rear pocket with a white powder, which later tested positive for cocaine.

Mr. Aguilar consented to a breath test, the result of which is redacted in police reports. By New York State law, however, a test over .18 percent classifies as an aggravated D.W.I.

Police charged Mr. Aguilar with two additional offences, an additional class-E felony for having a standard D.W.I. conviction in March 2023 and a class-A misdemeanor drug possession.

East Hampton Town Justice David Filer released Mr. Aguilar on his own recognizance the following day, ordering him to return to court on Sept. 25.

Sentenced in P.T.A. Theft

Hope Livingston, a former Sag Harbor P.T.A. treasurer, was sentenced to five years of probation and restitution after pleading guilty to third-degree grand larceny and agreeing to a plea deal with county prosecutors. 

Oct 8, 2026

Brooklyn Woman Now in Double Trouble

A woman who is already in legal hot water with East Hampton Village seems to have found herself in more of it after a new arrest last Thursday.

Oct 8, 2026

Second Guilty Plea in Building Department Bribery Case

Ryan Benitez, a former East Hampton Town building inspector, admitted Thursday to accepting bribes in exchange for expediting building permits and certificates of occupancy in 2024 and early 2025.

Oct 1, 2026

Former Building Department Employee Pleads Guilty to Taking Bribes

Six months after her arrest, Evelyn Calderon, formerly of the East Hampton Town Building Department, took a deal in a Riverhead court Wednesday, pleading guilty to 10 counts of bribery and official misconduct. She was sentenced to 840 hours of community service, five years of probation, and a $29,200 fine. 

Oct 1, 2026

 

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