10 Most Read Crime Stories of 2013

It should be surprise that some of the most talked about stories are those that have to do with the crimes alleged to have been committed in our small town. Here are just five of the most read crime-related stories of 2013:

1. 19-Year-Old Arrested in Springs Liquor Store Robbery 

Less than 48 hours after a man made off with cash from a robbery at the Springs Wines & Liquors on Nov. 9, East Hampton Town police made an arrest.

East Hampton Town police said John X. Tracy III, 19, who lives on Kings Point Road in Springs, was charged with first-degree robbery, a felony.

2. Arrest Made in Fatal Hit-and-Run Amagansett Accident

While police had no witnesses to the hit-and-run accident that killed a 61-year-old pedestrian in late October 2012, detectives cracked the case three and a half months later.

Edward L. Orr, a 30-year-old Montauk resident, was arrested on Feb. 7 in connection with the death of John Judge. He later pleaded guilty and is currently serving a prison sentence. 

3. Montauk's Panoramic Wrapped Up in $100 Million Ponzi Scheme, Feds Allege 

Two men from Old Westbury were charged Aug. 1 as part of a nearly $100 million Ponzi scheme that involved funds to buy the Panoramic View Resort & Residences in Montauk, according to the US Attorney's office.

3. Armed Robbery Reported in Sag Harbor Village 

The Corner Closet on Main Street in Sag Harbor Village was held-up at gunpoint on the evening of Nov. 19. Police later said that the owner of the store was tied up while two people — a man and a woman — robbed the store. A third person, police believe, was involved.

4. Sag Harbor Man Charged with DWI in Route 114 Crash 

The driver of a pick-up truck was charged with drunken driving after he crashed into a BMW on Route 114 in East Hampton on July 6, seriously injuring a mother and her 6-year-old child.

5. Teen Charged with Sexual Assault at Wainscott Rehab Facility 

A 16-year-old from Rockville Centre sexually assaulted another teen at Phoenix House Academy in Wainscott on Nov. 17, East Hampton Town police said. 

Police responded to the drug rehabilitation and treatment center for adolescent males on Industrial Road — not far from police headquarters — after a report of a victim of violence at about 5:10 p.m. They found an 18-year-old male victim had been assaulted. East Hampton Village Ambulance Association transported him to Southampton Hospital, where he underwent surgery and was admitted. 

6. Alleged Serial Burglar Needed Cash To Feed Heroin Addiction 

Facing multiple burglary charges and serious jail time, Springs resident Justin T. Bennett told the judge when he appeared in court on Oct. 25 that he's ready to get clean. 

Bennett, who was arrested in connection to a multi-jurisdictional investigation into burglaries on the South Fork, is an addict who turned to break-ins to raise money for his heroin fix, according to a statement he gave East Hampton Town police.

Police charged him with 16 burglaries in East Hampton that resulted in the loss of more than $126,000 in jewelry, cash and prescription medications being stolen, they said. More charges are expected in other jurisdictions and a grand jury indictment is expected. 

7. DEC Says 4 Fisherman Face Felony Charges for Spearing Striped Bass

Four fishermen, including two from Montauk and one from East Hampton, are accused of spearing more than 70 fish in Block Island Sound in August. 

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Joe Martens announced in October that the fishermen have been charged with four felonies related to the illegal spearing of striped bass.

8. Feds: Couple Smuggled Immigrants, Forced Them to Work in 7-Eleven 

On June 17, authorities indicted nine people from New York and Virginia – including a Head of the Harbor couple – for smuggling illegal immigrants into the country and forcing them to work long hours for minimal pay at several Long Island 7-Eleven stores, including one in Sag Harbor.

U.S. Attorney Loretta Lynch, of the Eastern District of New York, announced the indictment in one of the largest criminal immigrant employment investigations ever conducted by the Department of Justice. 

9. Attorney Says Ex-Cop Was Worried About His Daughter's Safety 

An Eat Hampton man, who was arrested in May after a visit to the John M. Marshall Elementary School, was concerned for the safety of his daughter and other students, according to his attorney Edward Burke Jr. 

Police allege the 36-year-old man improperly identified himself as a New York City police officer and showed his badge and an ID that he reported stolen when he left the job in 2006.

10. Jason Lee's Attorney: Sex Was Consensual, Not Rape 

The sex between a Goldman Sachs executive and the woman who accused him of rape was consensual, according to defense attorney, Edward Burke Jr.

Jason Lee was arraigned on a three-count indictment, including first-degree rape, in Suffolk County Criminal Court on Sept. 20. 

Burke, who spoke to reporters after Lee posted $100,000 bail, said his client, a 37-year-old married man from New York City, did have consensual sex with the 20-year-old woman. 

Are there other stories you expected to be on this list? Tell us in the comments below.