Police & Fire

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Do you recognize this woman? Photo from SCPD

Suffolk County Crime Stoppers and Suffolk County Police Fourth Precinct Crime Section officers are seeking the public’s help to identify and locate a woman who allegedly stole from a Commack store in February.

A woman allegedly stole household items from Walmart, located at 85 Crooked Hill Road, on February 5.

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.

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Do you recognize this man? Photo from SCPD

Suffolk County Crime Stoppers and Suffolk County Police Sixth Precinct Crime Section officers are seeking the public’s help to identify and locate the man who allegedly stole merchandise from a Medford store. 

A man allegedly stole electronics and food from Target, located at 2975 Horseblock Road, on February 19 at approximately 1:30 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.  

Do you recognize this man? Photo from SCPD

Suffolk County Crime Stoppers and Suffolk County Police Sixth Precinct Crime Section officers are seeking the public’s help to identify and locate the man who allegedly stole from a Selden store.

A man allegedly stole assorted merchandise, including a Dyson vacuum, from Target, located at 307 Independence Plaza, on February 25 at approximately 10:10 a.m. The stolen merchandise has a value of approximately $575.

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.

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Stock photo

Following an investigation by Homicide Squad detectives, Jose Martinez-Vazquez and Tiffany Diaz-Cabrera were arrested in Port Jefferson Station on March 5, for the alleged murder of Benjamin Flores-Mendez, who was found dead on the Greenway Trail, near Clifton Place, in Port Jefferson Station on June 17, 2021.

Martinez-Vazquez was arrested at the corner of Crystal Brook Hollow Road and Hallock Avenue at 2 p.m. Diaz-Cabrera was arrested on Crystal Brook Hollow Road at 9:18 p.m. Martinez-Vazquez, 24, and Diaz-Cabrera, 20, both of Port Jefferson Station, have each been charged with Murder 2nd Degree.

Below is the first update and the original release:

Suffolk County Police Homicide Squad detectives are investigating the stabbing death of a man that
occurred on a trail in Port Jefferson Station on June 17. The body of Benjamin Flores-Mendez, 39, of Port Jefferson Station was found on Greenway Trail, near Clifton Place, at approximately 1 a.m. The victim, who was stabbed, was pronounced dead at the scene.

File photo

Suffolk County Police Homicide Squad detectives are conducting an investigation after human remains were found on the beach at Smith Point County Park in Shirley on March 6.

Smith Point County Park employees called 911 at 1:35 p.m. after a woman reported to them she had
located what appeared to be a human bone. Police responded and located the bone in the sand. The remains were taken to the Office of the Suffolk County Medical Examiner for autopsy to determine
the cause of death and to make an identification.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Homicide Squad detectives at 631-852-6392.

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Ronald Bernardini

Suffolk County Police arrested a chiropractor on March 3 for allegedly forcibly touching three female patients at his Lake Ronkonkoma business in 2021 and 2022. Three women contacted detectives to report Ronald Bernardini, a chiropractor at Lake Chiropractic, located at 201 Portion Road, allegedly forcibly touched them during their appointments between February 2021 and October 2022. The victims came forward after Bernardini was arrested in October for sexually abusing a teen at his practice.

Fourth Squad detectives charged Bernardini, 65, of Smithtown, with four counts of Forcible Touching.  Detectives are asking anyone who believes they could be a victim of Bernardini to contact the Fourth Squad at 631-854-8452.

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Suffolk County Police Major Case Unit detectives are investigating a hit-and-run crash that killed a pedestrian in Huntington Station in the early morning of March 4.

Bernarda Fernandez was crossing Jericho Turnpike at Oakwood Road when she was struck by a vehicle traveling westbound on Jericho Turnpike at approximately 3:55 a.m. Fernandez, 49, of Huntington Station, was transported to Huntington Hospital where she was pronounced dead. The vehicle fled the scene northbound on Oakwood Road. Detectives believe the vehicle is a small to mid-size SUV.

The investigation is continuing. Anyone with information on this crash is asked to call Suffolk County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS.

Police car

In an email to the Three Village Central School District community, Kevin Scanlon, superintendent, announced the passing  of eighth-grader Qamat Shah.

“It is with a heavy heart that I share that earlier this morning the district was informed that a Murphy Junior High School eighth-grader, Qamat Shah, tragically passed away after an accident on an area roadway,” Scanlon wrote. “We are extremely saddened to hear of this heartbreaking news and know that a sudden loss like this can have a profound effect on the entire school community.”

Scanlon continued that a crisis intervention plan was implemented in the school district. Grief counselors would be on hand for students and staff at all schools as needed. Scanlon also instructed parents with “questions or concerns about how to navigate discussing this news with their child” to contact the main office of their child’s school. Secondary-level schools will also provide support through the guidance office or the high school counseling center.

According to Suffolk County Police, David Zerella, of Port Jefferson, was driving westbound on Route 347 at Wireless Road in Setauket on March 2 when his 2015 Dodge Charger struck bicyclist Qamat Shah at 6:30 p.m. as the 14-year-old was crossing Route 347. Qamat was transported to Stony Brook University Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Zerella and his passenger were not injured. The vehicle was impounded for a safety check. Suffolk County Police Sixth Squad detectives are investigating and asking anyone with information to call 631-854-8652.

 

Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney. Photo from Tierney's office

Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney in partnership with the New York State Department of Labor and the New York State Insurance Fund announced on March 2 that his office was able to secure multiple agreements as well as convictions from numerous businesses in order to reimburse more than $750,000 in wages and contributions owed to workers and state agencies.

“Suffolk County residents who work hard to earn an honest living deserve to be compensated fairly for their hard work. Several of the businesses we held accountable have either shortchanged their employees’ wages, or found ways to circumvent the system and line their own pockets with money while emptying the pockets of the same people who contribute to their businesses’ success,” said District Attorney Tierney. “My office will continue to fight against the fraudulent and illegal practices of corporations when they fail to pay employees for their honest labor and will also strive to recover any funds unlawfully obtained by companies defrauding workers. I thank our Wage Theft Prevention Task Force partners for helping us get these workers what was owed to them.”

“Any employer who steals from their workers will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law in New York State,” said New York State Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon. “I thank Suffolk County District Attorney Tierney for being a steadfast ally in our fight against wage theft and for ensuring justice for the victims.”

This past year, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office worked with their Wage Theft Prevention Task Force partners to return the proper wages owed to hard-working employees. Although the COVID-19 pandemic and the requisite shutdown severely curtailed the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office’s capabilities to pursue long-term labor related crime operations, its investigative staff was nonetheless able to recover hundreds of thousands of dollars and effectuate numerous arrests. Many of the victimized employees finally saw justice when their cases were resolved in the past year. Some of those cases include:

 JERNAIL SINGH, 64, of Glen Head, owner and principal agent of MH ONE ENTERPRISE, INC., a gas station and convenience store in Brentwood – Between October 2015 to January 2019, the business underpaid 19 employees by compensating them below the statutory minimum wage rate and did not pay their employees overtime wages if they worked in excess of 40 hours a week. Singh routinely made false promises to the employees to pay them properly for the time they worked, and threatened them if they complained to the New York State Department of Labor about the underpayments and the poor working conditions. In addition, Singh bullied one employee by threatening to contact immigration authorities and falsely report him to the police for a crime the employee did not commit. In another instance, after an employee complained to the New York State Department of Labor about his working conditions, Singh retaliated by contacting the employee’s subsequent employers in an attempt to get that employee terminated. Singh was arrested on December 15, 2020. On July 6, 2022, he pleaded guilty to Scheme to Defraud in the Second Degree, a Class A misdemeanor and Prohibited Retaliation, a Class B misdemeanor. As part of his plea agreement, Singh paid nearly $240,000 in restitution to cover the amount he owed to his employees and the New York State Department of Labor. He was sentenced to three years of probationary supervision.

 TRI-STATE CONSTRUCTION OF NEW YORK CORP. of Flushing – Between June 2018 and August 2018, while the company worked on a capital improvement project for the Huntington Union Free School District, it willfully failed to pay its employees the mandated prevailing wages and overtime wages for hours worked in excess of 40 hours per week. The corporation was charged in August 2020 and pleaded guilty on March 28, 2022 to Willful Failure to Pay the Prevailing Wage and Supplements, a Class E felony.  As part of the plea, the company paid back $121,530 in restitution to 14 employees who labored on the school district project.

 ALPHA CARTING & CONTRACTING SERVICES INC. of Bay Shore – Between June 2016 and May 2018, the corporation systematically underpaid four employees by reducing their wages below the statutory prevailing wage rate while they collected solid waste in the Village of Lake Grove. The corporation was charged on May 11, 2021, and pleaded guilty on August 30, 2022 to Scheme to Defraud in the Second Degree, a Class A misdemeanor. As part of the plea, they paid $96,732 to the affected employees and the New York State Department of Labor.

 GOLDSTAR INSTALLATION SERVICES, INC. aka THE FLOOR WORX OF NY, INC. of Selden – From July 2016 to July 2019, while working on public works projects throughout Suffolk County, the company misclassified 12 employees in order to avoid paying them the statutorily mandated prevailing wage rate for public works contracts. On February 27, 2020, Paul Gilistro, 59, the principal agent of the corporation and the corporation itself were charged with criminal complaints. Both the corporation and Gilistro pleaded guilty on April 7, 2022 to Scheme to Defraud in the Second Degree, a Class A misdemeanor. As part of their plea agreement, the defendants paid $40,000 upfront in restitution to the victims and an additional $40,000 to be paid through probation.

 WOODSTOCK CONSTRUCTION GROUP LTD. of Bayville – From November 2016 to May 2017, the company misclassified 19 employees and systematically failed to pay them the statutory prevailing wage rate and overtime wages for the hours worked in excess of 40 hours a week while working on the public works projects. Those projects were the Gilgo Beach Marina Dock Reconstruction Project in the Town of Babylon, the Bayport Beach Breakwater and Reconstruction Project in Town of Islip. On February 27, 2020, the corporation was charged, and on July 13, 2022 pleaded guilty on to Scheme to Defraud in the Second Degree, a Class A misdemeanor, conditioned on the corporation paying back $66,776 to its employees for the underpayment of their wages.

 BOB 1232 JERICHO CORP. aka DHCW Inc., of Huntington, operated DIX HILLS BRUSHLESS CAR WASH – Between 2014 to 2017, the business failed to pay its employees the statutory minimum and overtime wage rates for hours worked. This business additionally submitted a fraudulent New York State Department of Labor NYS-45 form containing false information in order to avoid paying unemployment contributions. After facing criminal charges, the corporation pleaded guilty on March 23, 2022 to Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the Second Degree, a Class A misdemeanor, and was required to recompense $120,000 in restitution to their 11 employees and reimburse the New York State Unemployment Insurance Fund its required contributions.

 APJ RESTORATION, INC. of St. James – Between August 2015 and August 2016, the corporation knowingly underreported their gross sales on documents submitted to the New York State Insurance Fund (NYSIF). On February 27, 2020, the corporation and its principal agent, Alan James, 71, were charged and both later pleaded guilty on April 29, 2022 to Falsifying a Business Record in the Second Degree, a Class A misdemeanor. James is due back in court for sentencing on March 27, 2023. The defendants agreed to pay $32,575.63 owed in workers’ compensation insurance premiums due to the NYSIF.

These matters were investigated by Suffolk County District Attorney Detective Investigators, the New York State Department of Labor, the New York State Insurance Fund and the Suffolk County Police Department.

### Criminal complaints and indictments are merely accusatory instruments. Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. No one is above the law.

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File photo

Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney on March 2 announced the indictment of Qiulong Chen, 35, who is accused of allegedly leaving the scene of a crash that resulted in the death of Joseph Biggica, 59, of Ronkonkoma, and then replacing his vehicle’s broken windshield the next day.

“The defendant not only allegedly left an innocent person to die on the side of the road, but also attempted to cover it up,” said District Attorney Tierney. “My office will continue to hold drivers who hit pedestrians and flee to avoid prosecution accountable, especially those who then make a conscious effort to further impede law enforcement’s investigation. This indictment is the first step in securing justice for the victim’s family, and we will continue to aggressively prosecute this case.”

According to the investigation, on October 25, 2022, at approximately 6:17 p.m., Chen was delivering food while driving his black 2015 Honda CRV in Ronkonkoma when he allegedly struck Biggica, who was walking on Remington Boulevard. Biggica was transported to Stony Brook University Hospital where he later died from injuries sustained as a result of the crash. Law enforcement recovered video surveillance from the scene which captured the crash.

The following morning, Chen allegedly had his car windshield replaced at an auto body shop in Suffolk County. Several days later, detectives recovered Chen’s vehicle, which still had damage to its hood, in the parking lot of his business.

After a joint investigation was conducted by the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office and the Suffolk County Police Department’s Major Case Unit, Chen was indicted for Leaving the Scene of an Incident Without Reporting, a Class D felony, and Tampering with Physical Evidence, a Class E felony. If convicted on the top charge, he faces up to 2-1/3 to 7 years in prison.

A criminal charge is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.