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Jury Conviction in D.W.I. Case

Thu, 03/26/2026 - 11:17

Following a jury trial in Suffolk County Criminal Court, an East Hampton man was found guilty of felony-level driving while intoxicated on March 16. He faces up to four years in prison.

A jury convicted Simon Bolivar Cruceta, 62, of the felony, which East Hampton Village police said was his second drunken-driving arrest in three years. The first charge, classified as a misdemeanor, was adjudicated in Town Justice Court.

In February 2025, police pulled the man over for “excessive window tint” on his Nissan Altima, and spotted an open bottle of vodka by his feet. He admitted to officers that he “just took a sip of that,” according to court records.

Mr. Cruceta is due back in county court on May 19 for sentencing.      

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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