Police: Man Drove Boat Drunk in Great South Bay

A Sayville man was arrested early Sunday morning on a boating while intoxicated charge, police said.

According to police, Joseph Leon, 59, was operating a 1994 Silverton 38-foot cabin cruiser without the boat’s navigational lights on, which is required when it’s dark in the Great South Bay, a half-mile northeast of Cherry Grove at about 2:20 a.m.

Marine patrol officers John Mullins III and John Sheehan were patrolling the waters in Marine X-Ray when they stopped Leon’s boat and the officers determined that Leon was intoxicated, police said.

Officer Mullins arrested and charged Leon with BWI.

Mullins also arrested Leon in June 2011 on a BWI charge following a boat crash, police said.

Leon was held overnight at the Third Precinct and arraigned Sunday at First District Court in Central Islip. He is being held on $4,000 bond or $2,000 cash bail.