Suffolk Reporter

Leo Flores-Gracias, 26, from Huntington Station, has been sentenced to 4 to 12 years in prison for his involvement in a fatal drunk driving crash. Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced the sentencing after Flores-Gracias pleaded guilty to Aggravated Vehicular Homicide and other related charges.

“This defendant was under the influence of alcohol and made the choice to drive himself and his friends home from a party. That selfish disregard for the safety of others led to the tragic death of his own friend, Marlon Nunez-Cuellar,” said District Attorney Tierney. “We hope that the sentence imposed today provides comfort to the victim’s family who have been dealing with the devastating impacts of this defendant’s actions and serves as a reminder not to jeopardize the lives of others by choosing to drive under the influence.”

The incident occurred on July 4, 2023, at approximately 8:06 p.m., when Flores-Gracias left a party with three passengers in his 2017 Honda Accord. While driving northbound on Sweet Hollow Road in Huntington, he crashed head-on into another vehicle traveling southbound.

Court documents revealed that an extraction of the vehicle’s event data recorder showed Flores-Gracias was traveling at 72 mph just one second before impact on a road where the speed limit is posted at 30 mph.

Marlon Nunez-Cuellar, one of Flores-Gracias’ passengers, was transported to Plainview Hospital where he succumbed to injuries sustained in the crash.

Upon arrival at the scene, police officers noted signs of intoxication in Flores-Gracias and subsequently arrested him. Toxicology tests revealed his blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was .14% following consented blood draw by police. A separate sample taken by hospital staff showed a BAC of .19%, more than twice the legal limit. During a search warrant execution on Flores-Gracias' vehicle, law enforcement found an open 12-pack of beer with one full bottle remaining in the trunk.

Flores-Gracias pleaded guilty on June 6, 2024, before Supreme Court Justice Richard Ambro to charges including Aggravated Vehicular Homicide (a Class B felony), Manslaughter in the Second Degree (a Class C felony), Aggravated Driving While Intoxicated (an Unclassified misdemeanor), and Reckless Driving (an Unclassified misdemeanor).

Justice Ambro sentenced him on September 30, 2024. Adaline Arvello represented Flores-Gracias during this case.

Assistant District Attorneys James McCormack and Emma Henry from the Vehicular Crime Bureau prosecuted this case while Detective Valentin Rosado from Suffolk County Police Department's Major Case Unit conducted the investigation.