4 Montauk Eatery Staffers Plead Guilty To Charges After Beach Party: Town Supervisor

EAST HAMPTON, NY - Four staff members from Ruschmeyer’s restaurant in Montauk pleaded guilty on Monday to charges stemming from a staff beach party last summer that left litter strewn about Navy Beach in Montauk, according to a release by East Hampton Town Supervisor Larry Cantwell.

As part of the plea arrangement, each defendant was fined $1,500 dollars by the Honorable Steven Tekulsky in East Hampton Justice Court.

“This was an egregious transgression by the staff of a local business,” said Cantwell. “These significant fines, totaling $6,000, are a testament to the fact that the town will not condone such reckless disregard for our natural resources.”

Other defendants had previously pleaded guilty and paid smaller fines on camping and littering charges, but the four who pled guilty on Monday, including Tyler Aposhian, Fiona Bourke, Johnathan Crowley, and Dylen Power, were the "ringleaders" responsible for the party, Cantwell said.

“To their credit, the management of Ruschmeyer’s addressed the situation as soon as they became aware of the actions of their staff, but honestly, it was too little, too late. There is no excuse for the beach to ever be placed in that condition,” Cantwell said.

The defendants were all represented by Edward Burke, Jr. of Sag Harbor. Assistant Town Attorneys NancyLynn Thiele and Hope DeLauter prosecuted the case on behalf of the town, the release said.

Editor's Note: A previous photo used in this story of Navy Beach was removed to clear up confusion, because the defendants worked at Ruschmeyer's, not the public Navy Beach, where the litter was strewn.