Man Charged With Teen House Parties Arraigned On Grand Larceny Charge, Ordered Into Substance Abuse Treatment: DA

EAST HAMPTON, NY — A Springs man already facing charges related to house parties with teen drinking and drugs was arraigned Wednesday on a grand larceny charge — and told to undergo substance abuse counseling, according to Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota.

New York State Supreme Court Justice Fernando Camacho directed Jefferson Eames, 48, during his arraignment on a grand larceny charge, to find an inpatient substance abuse program by Monday, April 10, Spota said.

Eames has been arrested six times by East Hampton Police on a variety of charges since last September, Spota said.

Justice Camacho ordered Eames, 48, held on $25,000 cash bail and told him that if he finds a residential recovery facility, the court will arrange his release from the county jail to enter a residential treatment program, Spota said.

Eames pleaded not guilty to the grand larceny charge, the sole count in the indictment, in Central Islip on Wednesday.

Pending misdemeanor charges in town justice court include reckless and unlicensed driving, unlawfully fleeing a police officer, resisting arrest, endangering the welfare of a child and violations of the Suffolk County Social Host Law; the latter charge was alleged after Eames hosted parties in his home where underage teens allegedly consumed drugs and alcohol, Spota said.

Eames' most recent arrest was last month when East Hampton Town detectives charged him with third degree grand larceny, Spota said.

Eames allegedly deposited a check for over $24,000 last year mistakenly sent to him by an East Hampton contractor he last worked with eight years ago, Spota said.

Eames, was arrested March 23 by East Hampton Town detectives and charged with third degree grand larceny, a felony punishable by a maximum of up to seven years in prison upon conviction, Spota said.

Eames, on December 27, 2016, allegedly "wrongfully withheld and deposited a check for $24,200 into his business account," Spota said. The check was mistakenly mailed to the defendant by Leisure Tech LLC of East Hampton, a general contractor who last worked with Eames eight years ago, Spota said.

“Because he had not worked with Leisure Tech in eight years, Eames knew he was not entitled to it and he has refused to return the money sent to him in error,” Spota said.

Eames has been arrested six times since September, 2016 on a variety of charges and is scheduled to return to East Hampton Town Justice Court on those criminal complaints on May 3, Spota said.

In March, Eames was charged with numerous offenses related to house parties where he allegedly sold Xanax to a teen and allowed underage drinking, police said — the home is the same location where Jordan Johnson, 18, recently overdosed, authorities confirmed.

According to East Hampton Town Police, Eames, 48, of the 100 block of Neck Path in Springs, was arrested charged with "numerous criminal counts" related to underage parties held at his residence.

Eames, police said, was charged with offenses related to the sale of a controlled substance by providing Xanax to a youth living at his residence, endangering the welfare of children less than 17 years of age and violating the Suffolk County Social Host Law for knowingly allowing children to consume alcohol at his residence.

He was taken into custody at his residence when he attempted to re-enter the home and close the door on investigators, police said.

He was charged with one count of fifth-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance, a felony, nine counts of endangering the welfare of a child, a misdemeanor, three counts of violating Suffolk County's Social Host law, an unclassified misdemeanor, and one count of resisting arrest, a misdemeanor, police said.

Police and Christine Moran, Johnson's mother, who was found hours after he overdosed, said the home is the same location as where Johnson was found.

In March, a second arrest was made in relation to the case involving alleged house parties in Springs where underage drinking took place, police said.

According to East Hampton Town Police, Robert Andrade, 41, was arrested and charged with four counts of endangering the welfare of a child less than 17 of age, according to East Hampton Town Police Lt. Rob Gurney.

He was arrested as a result of a prior investigation that led to multiple charges against Eames, Gurney confirmed.

Meanwhile, weeks after the night Jordan Johnson, 18, a teen who overdosed at a house party, where he was allegedly left for dead for approximately 12 hours while teens recorded his ordeal on Snapchat, his mother Christine Moran said her family is blessed with the miracle of his recovery.

"Jordan is doing great. He's 80 percent physically," she said, adding that he lost 40 to 50 percent of his hearing permanently, and they will be following up with doctors in that regard. "But overall," she said, "we have Jordan back."

A recent fundraiser for Jordan was held at The Stephen Talkhouse.

After Johnson overdosed, the community came together in an outpouring of concern, working together to ensure such incidents never happen again.

Anderson said adults need to take the lead in educating kids. "It would start with conversations with your kids, first and foremost. There's a Social Host Law and it's incumbent upon those adults to exercise good judgment," he said.

Anderson added that Eames' arrest came after a "series of incidents," and said, "It is still a continuing investigation, it remains active, and there is the potential for additional charges."