Criminal Charges Dropped

An East Northport man was cleared of criminal charges in East Hampton Town Justice Court last Thursday. Peter Louis Zarcone, who was 36 when he was arrested in Montauk last summer, had been charged by East Hampton Town police with two instances of criminal mischief at the felony level.

However, the district attorney’s office took the unusual step last Thursday in East Hampton Town Justice Court of agreeing to a plea bargain that not only dropped the felonies but skipped charges at the misdemeanor level in exchange for Mr. Zarcone pleading guilty to disorderly conduct as a violation and doing 21 hours of community service. As a result, he will not have a criminal record.

Police had arrested Mr. Zarcone based on a video of an incident in the parking lot of the 7-Eleven on Main Street. According to Mr. Zarcone’s lawyer, Michael Helfer, a video on the same surveillance camera cleared his client of deliberately damaging another man’s car, which was at the heart of the allegations. “There was a surveillance tape that exonerated him,” Mr. Helfer said afterward.

Mr. Zarcone will be allowed to perform the 21 hours of community service near where he lives.