Southold Blotter: Southold man receives threatening texts from “cartel”

A 62-year-old Southold man told police Dec. 27 that he had received “multiple threatening text messages” from random numbers, one of which stated the sender’s name as “Franco Cervantes,” who stated that he was from the “cartel.” He demanded money from the Southold man and said that if he did not pay, the Cartel would kill him. Police said “Cervantes” sent graphic photos of murder victims and firearms to the man. An investigation is continuing.

• Last Thursday, a 62-year-old East Marion man told police he was the victim of a financial scam. He said he received a text message from someone claiming to be from Chase Bank. The person asked the man for his Chase username and password, which he provided. The man was told to wire $13,600 to Chase and then another $14,200. The man contacted Chase, which stopped one of the transfers, but the man lost a total of $27,800, according to police.

• Edgar Torres, 43, of Greenport was arrested Friday after he was identified as the driver of a vehicle that had failed to maintain its lane on South Street in Greenport. Torres was placed under arrest and held at Southold police headquarters for arraignment.

• On Monday, Jonas Graseck of Southold, 49, was arrested for driving while intoxicated after his vehicle struck a guardrail at the end of Sound Road in Greenport. Mr. Graseck was found to be intoxicated, according to a police report. He was arrested and transported to Southold police headquarters where he was processed and held for morning arraignment. His vehicle was seized and towed to police headquarters due to a prior DWI conviction, according to police.

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 The charges against them may later be reduced or withdrawn, or they may be found innocent.