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Felony Charges Follow D.W.I. Arrests

Thu, 07/02/2026 - 12:50

A Brooklyn woman is facing upgraded charges after being charged in the early morning hours of June 20 with drunken driving. 

Chelsei S. Ojoe, 35, was pulled over after making an “abrupt” left turn onto Hartley Boulevard from Springs-Fireplace Road in Springs, police said. According to the report, she performed poorly on roadside sobriety tests and was placed under arrest for a misdemeanor.

Twenty minutes later, police found a clear plastic bag with 1,000 milligrams of a white, powdery substance that later tested positive for cocaine. She now faces the additional charge of fifth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, a felony.

She appeared later that morning before East Hampton Town Justice Steven Tekulsky and was released on her own recognizance with a future date in court.

Last Thursday night, Donald A. Briand, 34, of Montauk, was also charged with D.W.I.. According to officials, Mr. Briand, after turning right from Main Street in Montauk onto Caswell Road, drove off the road and onto the grass. Police also reported seeing him crossing onto the shoulder on Main Street multiple times before making the turn. He was charged after allegedly failing the sobriety tests. 

Because Mr. Briand was convicted of aggravated D.W.I. in 2017, the new charges are felony-level. He was additionally ticketed for drinking alcohol or using cannabis in a motor vehicle — the report did not say which — along with a handful of traffic violations.

After an appearance in Justice Court, he was released the following day on his own recognizance.

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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