(SUFFOLK COUNTY, N.Y.) – Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney today announced that Simon Bolivar Cruceta, 62, of East Hampton, was found guilty after a jury trial of felony Driving While Intoxicated, for driving while drunk with an open bottle of Vodka in his car in East Hampton in 2025.
“Drunk driving is not a victimless crime. It is a decision that puts every person on the road and sidewalks at serious risk of injury or death,” said District Attorney Tierney. “This defendant made that choice twice, and this conviction should send a message that my office takes these cases seriously to ensure our roads are safe.”
The evidence at trial established that on February 3, 2025, at approximately 12:35 p.m., an East Hampton Village police officer initiated a traffic stop of Cruceta’s Nissan Altima for excessive window tint. During the stop, the officer saw an open bottle of vodka at Cruceta’s feet and detected an odor of alcohol emanating from his breath. Cruceta admitted to the officer that he “he just took a sip of that,” referencing the vodka bottle. Cruceta submitted to a chemical test of his breath which revealed his blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was .11, exceeding the legal limit of .08.
On March 16, 2026, Cruceta was convicted of Driving While Intoxicated; per se, a Class E felony, and Drinking Alcohol in a Motor Vehicle on a Highway, a traffic infraction, after a jury trial heard before County Court Judge Bryan L. Browns. Cruceta had been previously convicted of misdemeanor Driving While Intoxicated .
Cruceta is due back in court for sentencing on May 19, 2026, and faces up to 1 ⅓ to 4 years in prison. He is being represented by the Suffolk County Legal Aid Society.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Sean Lorthioir and Jeremy Waite of the Major Crime Bureau, and the investigation was conducted by Sergeant Wayne Gauger of the East Hampton Village Police Department.
