Suffolk County Police Fourth Squad detectives arrested an employee of a home for individuals
with disabilities on June 11 for assaulting a resident of the facility earlier this month.
Representatives from the Developmental Disabilities Institute, located at 99 Hollywood Drive in
Smithtown, contacted police on June 3 and reported a non-verbal adult resident with Down syndrome
was found to have facial lacerations and a swollen lip at the facility on June 2. Following an
investigation, employee Raliek Leonard was observed on camera pushing the victim into a room causing
him to strike his head on the floor at approximately 1:10 p.m. on June 2.
Leonard, 28, of Central Islip, was charged with Endangering the Welfare of an Incompetent or Physically Disabled Person, a felony, and Assault 3rd Degree, a misdemeanor. Leonard is being held overnight at the Sixth Precinct and is scheduled to be arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip on a June 12.
Leonard is currently suspended from his position at the facility and an independent investigation is being conducted by the Justice Center for the Protection of People With Special Needs.
Suffolk County Crime Stoppers and Suffolk County Police Financial Crimes Unit
detectives are seeking the public’s help to identify and locate the man who stole money
from a Melville man’s bank account.
A Melville resident was contacted by a man who identified himself as a bank representative
and told the victim his bank account had been compromised and convinced him to turn
over his card for destruction and reissuance. An unknown male went to the victim’s home
on May 21 to retrieve the card and PIN. A man used the card at ATMs in Garden City and
Valley Stream to withdraw $4,000 later that day.
Suffolk County Crime Stoppers offers a cash reward for information that leads to an arrest.
Anyone with information about these incidents can contact Suffolk County Crime Stoppers
to submit an anonymous tip by calling 1-800-220-TIPS, utilizing a mobile app which can
be downloaded through the App Store or Google Play by searching P3 Tips, or online at
www.P3Tips.com. All calls, text messages and emails will be kept confidential.
Just released! Suffolk County Crime Stoppers and Suffolk County Police Fourth Squad detectives are seeking the public’s help to identify and locate a man who allegedly burglarized a Hauppauge home in April.
The man pictured on the right allegedly entered a Wheeler Road home through an open window on April 11 at approximately 2:15 a.m. and took a pair of adult sized Lightning McQueen Crocs and Nike sneakers. The man, described as Black, in his 20’s with short braids, was seen in the area of the home the day before.
Suffolk County Crime Stoppers offers a cash reward for information that leads to an arrest. Anyone with information about these incidents can contact Suffolk County Crime Stoppers to submit an anonymous tip by calling 1-800-220-TIPS, utilizing a mobile app which can be downloaded through the App Store or Google Play by searching P3 Tips, or online at www.P3Tips.com. All calls, text messages and emails will be kept confidential.
Update on June 10: The man found deceased in an East Shoreham pool on May 25 has been positively identified as Matthew Zoll. Zoll’s cause of death has yet to be determined.
Below is the original press release:
Suffolk County Police Homicide Squad detectives are investigating after a man was found deceased in a pool in East Shoreham on May 25 around 4:20 p.m.
A homeowner on Pal Court was uncovering his pool for the summer when he made the grisly discovery and called 911. Investigators said there was a strong possibility that this could be 23-year-old Matthew Zoll, who stabbed his father to death in Rocky Point in November and then fled the scene, based on his clothing.
An autopsy will be conducted by personnel from the Office of the Suffolk County Medical Examiner’s Office to determine the exact identity and cause of death of the victim.
Nassau District Attorney Anne Donnelly announces charges against Navdeep Singh on June 9. Photo courtesy of Nassau D.A.'s office
Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly and Nassau County Police Department Commissioner Patrick Ryder announced on June 9 that a Dix Hills man was charged with conspiracy and criminal solicitation for allegedly plotting to kidnap and kill a man and promising to pay a hitman $100,000 and 10 acres of land in India to complete the job.
Navdeep Singh
Navdeep Singh, 48, of Dix Hills, was arraigned Sunday before Judge Lisa Locurto on charges of Conspiracy in the Second Degree (a B felony) and Criminal Solicitation in the Second Degree (a D felony).
The defendant’s bail was set at $1 million cash, $2 million bond, and $5 million partially secured bond, and he was ordered to surrender his passport. He is due back in court on June 10, 2025. If convicted, he faces up to 25 years in prison.
“The allegations against Navdeep Singh are deeply disturbing. Because of a years-long dispute with a former business associate and multi-million dollar pending civil litigation between their two construction companies, this defendant allegedly decided to hatch a plot to have his rival kidnapped and murdered,” said DA Donnelly. “Singh was allegedly willing to pay $100,000 and give his would-be hitman 10 acres of land in India to brutally torture, extort, and eventually kill his former colleague. It is unfathomable the lengths to which this defendant was allegedly willing to go, but because of the incredible work of the Nassau County Police Department’s District Attorney Squad and my prosecutors his plot was thwarted, and we can say we saved a life this past weekend.”
“This was a very dangerous situation,” said Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder. “Thanks to the hard work of our District Attorney Squad working in partnership with DA Anne Donnelly and her tenacious prosecutors we prevented what would have been a tragedy: settling a business dispute with murder. We are very pleased to bring this man to justice and stop him from harming his intended victim or any Nassau County resident.”
DA Donnelly said that, according to the charges, between May 29, 2025, and June 3, 2025, the defendant contacted and met with another co-conspirator multiple times about planning to kidnap and kill a man with whom he was engaged in extensive civil litigation.
The victim knew the defendant for several years as part of ongoing businesses dealings with his construction company and has been engaged in litigation with the defendant’s company, Gravity Construction Corp., for approximately two years after he took the defendant’s company off a job he was managing.
The defendant allegedly offered the would-be hitman $100,000 dollars and 10 acres of land in India if he kidnapped the victim, took him out of the state, tortured him, extorted him for millions of dollars, and eventually killed him.
The defendant allegedly took photos of the victim’s home and vehicle and sent them to the hired assassin to help him identify the victim.
Singh also allegedly purchased multiple burner phones for the intended solicitor to avoid law enforcement detection. He also allegedly made a down payment of $7,000 to the man during a meeting about the plot.
Singh was arrested by members of the Nassau County Police Department’s District Attorney Squad in Manhasset on June 7, 2025, after the defendant drove around again near the victim’s home.
The case is being prosecuted by Pharmaceutical Diversion and Cybercrimes Unit Chief Kelsey Lorer of the Organized Crimes and Rackets Bureau, under the supervision of Bureau Chief Jeremy Glicksman, and under the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney for the Investigations Rick Whelan. The defendant was represented at arraignment by The Legal Aid Society.
The charges are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless found guilty.
Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly announced that a Selden woman was sentenced to up to four years in prison for stealing more than $1 million from two Long Island construction companies, one of which she worked for as a bookkeeper, in a press release on May 28.
Mary Spora, 59, pleaded guilty on August 14, 2024, before Judge Tammy Robbins to two counts of Grand Larceny in the Second Degree (a C felony) and one count of Falsifying Business Records in the First Degree (an E felony).
The defendant was sentenced today to 1 1/3 to 4 years in prison. NCDA recommended a sentence of 2 to 6 years in prison.
“This defendant selfishly took advantage of her employer, abusing her position and access to siphon more than a million dollars from two businesses over the course of six years,” said DA Donnelly. “Financial crimes hurt businesses and the employees who work for them. We will continue to investigate and follow the money when an allegation of financial fraud is made and hold defendants accountable for using deceit and deception to line their own pockets.”
DA Donnelly said that, between February 2017 and May 2023, the defendant worked as a bookkeeper for construction equipment company Independent Equipment Corp. (Independent) and building material company Coastal Materials (Coastal). The defendant embezzled a total of $1,152,160 from Coastal and another company under the same owner, Big Apple Concrete Supply, Inc. (Big Apple), by writing approximately 113 unauthorized checks from their bank accounts.
Spora was responsible for handling accounts payable for Independent and Coastal, and recording payments in the companies’ books. She was also responsible for preparing payments to vendors and had access to the accounting and payroll software for all three companies, as well as their financial records.
According to certified bank records, more than 75 checks from Coastal, totaling more than $608,000, were deposited into a bank account held by the defendant and her husband between March 2, 2017, and February 1, 2023.
Bank records also indicate that more than 30 checks, totaling more than $540,000, were deposited into the same bank account from Big Apple between February 15, 2017, and May 25, 2023.
An audit of Coastal and Big Apple’s payroll software records also reflected that the defendant made an entry into the software designating a company owned by her husband as payee for the checks and altered the payee information of those checks to make it appear as though a company that does do business with Coastal and Big Apple was the appropriate payee.
A review of the defendant’s bank accounts indicated that between 2017 and 2021, she spent the stolen money on personal expenses, credit card and retail store payments, and travel.
The case is being prosecuted by Senior Investigative Counsel Heidi Bausk under the supervision of Major Financial Frauds Bureau Chief Maureen McCormack and under the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney for the Investigations Division Rick Whelan. The defendant is represented by Robert Schalk, Esq.
Suffolk County Crime Stoppers and Suffolk County Police Fourth Precinct Crime Section officers are seeking the public’s help to identify and locate the man who allegedly stole assorted tools from a Commack store last month.
The man pictured on the right allegedly stole two drills and a battery jump starter, valued at $599, from Harbor Freight, located at 116 Veterans Memorial Highway, on May 21 at approximately 12 p.m.
Suffolk County Crime Stoppers offers a cash reward for information that leads to an arrest. Anyone with information about these incidents can contact Suffolk County Crime Stoppers to submit an anonymous tip by calling 1-800-220-TIPS, utilizing a mobile app which can be downloaded through the App Store or Google Play by searching P3 Tips, or online at www.P3Tips.com. All calls, text messages and emails will be kept confidential.
Suffolk County Crime Stoppers and Suffolk County Police Sixth Precinct Crime Section officers are seeking the public’s help to identify and locate the woman who allegedly stole merchandise from a South Setauket store.
The woman pictured above allegedly stole cosmetics from Target, located at 265 Pond Path, on June 4 at approximately 12:20 p.m.
Suffolk County Crime Stoppers offers a cash reward for information that leads to an arrest. Anyone with information about these incidents can contact Suffolk County Crime Stoppers to submit an anonymous tip by calling 1-800-220-TIPS, utilizing a mobile app which can be downloaded through the App Store or Google Play by searching P3 Tips, or online at www.P3Tips.com. All calls, text messages and emails will be kept confidential.
Suffolk County Police Homicide Squad detectives are investigating the death of a man who was pulled
from the water in Nissequogue on June 8.
Fourth Precinct and Marine Bureau officers responded to a report of a swimmer in distress off of Long
Beach Road at approximately 6:41 p.m. Eric Soloff was pulled from the water a short time later.
Soloff, 63, of Nissequogue, was transported to Stony Brook University Hospital where he was
pronounced dead.
Detectives are asking anyone with information on this incident to call the Homicide Squad at 631-852-
6392.
Suffolk County Police Fourth Squad detectives are investigating a two-vehicle crash that injured
multiple people, two of them seriously, in Smithtown on June 7.
Thomas Cahill was driving a 2020 Kia Optima northbound on Route 25A when a 2020 Honda CRV,
traveling westbound on River Heights Drive, made a left turn in front of the Kia, which caused the
vehicles to collide at 10:03 p.m.
Cahill, 46, and his passenger Michael Cahill, 9, both of Kings Park, were transported to Good Samaritan
University Hospital in West Islip for treatment of minor injuries.
All occupants of the Honda, residents of Middle Village in Queens, NY, were transported to Stony
Brook University Hospital. The driver, Pietro Colombo, 86, suffered minor injuries. The front
passenger, Veto Colombo, 56, was not injured. Two passengers in the back, Maria Colombo, 76, and
Rosalia Colombo, 78, suffered serious injuries. Another passenger in the back, Angela Colombo, 55,
suffered minor injuries.
Both vehicles were impounded for a safety check. Anyone with information on this crash is asked to
contact the Fourth Squad at 631-854-8452.
