Southampton Blotter: Flanders traffic stop leads to drug arrests

A Riverhead man and his passenger were arrested in Flanders Monday night after Southampton police found the driver was high and carrying marijuana, police said.

Gregory Koplinka, 25, of Riverhead was stopped for speeding on Flanders Road at about 11 p.m., according to a police report.

Police said they discovered Mr. Koplinka was driving while high on marijuana after he was interviewed by cops when he was pulled over.

He was charged with driving while ability impaired by drugs, unlawful possession of marijuana, and other vehicle and traffic charges. The passenger in the car, Philip Liquori, 24, of Baiting Hollow, was also found with marijuana and charged with fifth-degree criminal possession.

Mr. Koplinka was held overnight at Southampton Police Headquarters, while Mr. Liquori was released on an appearance ticket.

• A Greenport man who sped away from an officer during a traffic stop on Flanders Road in Flanders Feb. 5 is also wanted on a warrant from Suffolk County Police, Southampton Town Police said. A town police officer had responded to a home on Flanders Road after receiving a complaint about an intoxicated person, police said. A Chevy Tahoe with Indiana plates was located and the man behind the wheel first gave the officer a false name, then took off and could not be located, police said. Police later discovered that the man was Robert Lechner of Greenport and that there is a Suffolk County police warrant for his arrest on a scheme to defraud charge, according to police.

• John Gloor, 19, of Manorville was charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief last Wednesday night on Oak Avenue in Flanders, police said. He was arrested at the Flanders location after an investigation revealed that earlier in the night he had been involved in a domestic dispute with a girlfriend and intentionally broke a door at her home on Kyle Road in Hampton Bays, according to police.

• A Flanders man was charged with stealing jewelry from another home in Flanders last Tuesday, according to police.
Richard Borsman, 35, was charged last Wednesday at police headquarters with fourth-degree grand larceny following an investigation into a theft of jewelry from a Flanders Road home. Police said Mr. Borsman was familiar with the home and had permission to be in it at the time the theft occurred, according to police, who did not indicate when the theft occurred.

• A handbag, wallet, iPhone charger and 30 compact discs were reported stolen Sunday from a car parked on East Street in Flanders. The owner was unsure if the car was locked; police said there was no forced entry or damage. The estimated value of the stolen items is $190, according to police.

• An unknown amount of copper piping was reported stolen from an unoccupied home for sale on Brookhaven Avenue in Flanders last Wednesday. The suspect appears to have gained entry by forcing open a rear door, police said, adding that the lock mechanism was found on the floor. The estimated value of the piping is unknown, according to police, who said the theft was reported by a realtor who is marketing the property.

• A 50-inch plasma television valued at $1,000 was reported stolen from a storage trailer on Oak Avenue in Flanders last Tuesday. Several other items, including credit cards and identification cards, were also taken, police said.

Those who are named in police reports have not been convicted of any crime or violation. The charges against them may later be reduced or withdrawn, or they may be found innocent.