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Thursday, March 5, 2026 ~ Volume 138 ~ Issue Number 16 ~ $1.00
Tierney Nabs BurglaryCarjacking Ring By Matt Meduri A seventeen-day crime spree last summer resulted in a thirty-eight-count indictment against nine defendants, who are alleged to have organized an armed robbery, burglary, home invasion, and carjacking ring. The criminal conspiracy was uncovered by a wide cast of law enforcement bodies, including the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office Gang Task Force, the Suffolk P.D., the Suffolk Sheriff’s office, State Police, NYPD, and the Nassau P.D., as well as municipal law enforcement across Long Island and the Lower Hudson Valley. The investigation consisted of hunting patterns between burglaries, stolen vehicles, and armed robberies. Thirty search warrants later, the enterprise was found to have operated primarily within Suffolk County. The nine defendants are alleged to have broken into eight auto-body shops and two residences, committed three armed robberies, stole multiple vehicles, and were in possession of multiple handguns. Cash, vehicles, and license plates, the last of which were used to swap with other vehicles to evade detection by law enforcement, are alleged to have been stolen. Continued on page 5
Alleged defendants of a Suffolk-based carjacking and home invasion ring rifle through an auto-body shop (Credit - Office of Suffolk County District Attorney)
Smithtown Unveils Smart Pass for Parks By Matt Meduri
The Town of Smithtown is looking to overhaul the parking pass system to access Town parks. The initiative has several goals, including reducing spending, increasing revenues, streamlining the process, and making it easier for Town residents to access parks and charging non-Town residents accordingly. The new digital parking system comes with security, convenience, and modernization features, according to the Town. If the legislation is passed, residents will be able to register their vehicles with their license plates or by visiting the office of Town Clerk Tom McCarthy (R-Smithtown). The Town adds that the new system will cut the absolute requirement to appear at Town Hall, reducing waiting on lines, but retaining the old system for those who prefer it. Continued on page 10
FULL STORIES ON:
BoE Unveils New Voting Machines Page 4
Romaine: We Are Rebuilding the Dam Page 10
The Mattera Report Page 15
Burr Winkle Park in Commack (Credit - Town of Smithtown)