Apology to Gary Melius and OHEKA Castle

In our May 25th edition we incorrectly reported that Oheka Castle was being pushed into bankruptcy court. This suggestion was pointing out that the actions of the lender, LNR, could push a lesser entity in that direction. To be clear, this is not the case with Oheka. The castle is not in bankruptcy proceedings and is not in any danger of shutting down. We apologize to Oheka Castle and its owner, Gary Melius for the stress caused.

The Long Islander News reviewed the detailed court proceedings that indicates that LNR, the mortgage holder on the Castle, has an alleged history sharp business practices. As suggested in the cases cited in court filings, LNR utilizes methodologies that are questionable to obtain properties for their portfolios. LNR is owned by Starwood Properties, the hotel chain giant. By connecting the dots, it would suggest that Starwood could gain access to owning this world renowned historic property for a fraction of its worth. Our calls for an interview with LNR and Starwood were not answered.

The current state of affairs at Oheka, based on our review of accounting statements, has the Castle operating at peak efficiency and at a profit.

Our investigation took over 2 months and we reviewed the legal documents and interviewed key players. We will release the full story in this week’s edition of the Long Islander News.

Murderer’s Release Sparks Outrage

Lisa Solomon was murdered by her husband on Christmas Eve 1987. Her husband Matthew, convicted of the crime, was paroled earlier this month.

By Peter Sloggatt
psloggatt@longislandergroup.com

Matthew Solomon has been released from prison.

Solomon was convicted of murdering his newlywed wife on Christmas Eve, 1987. The couple had been married six weeks when he strangled her in their Huntington Station home, then dumped her body in a field off of Oakwood Road in Huntington. Though he initially reported her missing to police, Solomon became a suspect even as he led volunteer search efforts in frigid weather to find his missing wife.

Solomon was released from Otisville Correctional Center in upstate New York this month after serving 31 years of an 18-years-to-life prison sentence.

His release came after a state parole board approved what was his seventh application for parole, and prompted backlash from lawmakers and the family of the victim, the former Lisa Weaver.

Lisa Solomon’s cousin, Steven Klerk discovered her body in a plastic garbage bag during one of those frigid searches. He joined Republican lawmakers and Suffolk Police PBA officials at a May 16 press conference where they blasted what Senate Minority Leader John Flanagan called “a left leaning parole board” for releasing the convicted murderer and others who have recently been paroled.

Steven Klerk, who discovered the body of his murdered cousin Lisa Solomon stuffed in a garbage bag during a search her in 1987, speaks with Republican lawmakers at a press conference in support of their Victims Justice Agenda.

“Some crimes are so heinous that they become seared in your memory and the murder of Lisa Solomon, a young woman with everything to live for, and who had just gotten married, is one of those events,” Flanagan said. “Matthew Solomon deceived the public when it turned out he threw a beautiful life away like garbage. He deserves to spend the rest of his life behind bars.”

Flanagan raised the alarm over parole granted to two inmates convicted of killing police officers.

“The New York State Parole Board has released a series of murderers, including Matthew Solomon, Judith Clark, who murdered two police officers and a security guard during the 1981 Brinks heist, and Herman Bell, a cop-killer,” Flanagan said in a statement.

“More and more we see a lack of consideration for people like Lisa’s family, those who hurt the most as a result of violent crime, and who are being completely ignored by the parole board... It is our responsibility to give victims a voice and to protect the public from people like Matthew Solomon who should never walk the streets again, as Lisa will never be able to do,” Flanagan continued.

Speaking on behalf of Lisa’s family members – who have opposed Matthew Solomon’s past applications for parole – Klerk said: “Democrats care more about criminals than victims and their families. Murderers and rapists are being released from New York State prisons to live among us under the guise of prison reform.”

Flanagan, the Senate Minority Leader, proposed his own brand of reform. He outlined the minority-proposed Victims Justice Agenda, a package of 11 bills proposed by eight Republican senators to stiffen sentencing and give families a greater voice in parole hearings, among other things.

The bills would impose a mandatory sentence of life without parole for first degree murder convictions or for repeat violent offenders; would require unanimous vote of the parole board to release an inmate; increases the minimum time before which an inmate turned down for parole may make a new application; and give interested parties greater opportunity for input on a parole hearing; among other things.

Guilty Plea In Village Sexual Assault

Daniel Adum pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl in Huntington last November.

By Peter Sloggatt
psloggatt@longislandergroup.com

A Huntington man pleaded to sexually assaulting a teenage girl in a downtown parking lot last November, Suffolk District Attorney Tim Sini said.

Daniel Adum, 19, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to several felony sexual assault charges and a misdemeanor charge of endangering the welfare of a child and is expected to receive a sentence of 15 years in prison at sentencing set for July 2.

The crime had rocked the Huntington community for its brazenness. Following Adum’s arrest the following day, Suffolk Police Commissioner Geraldine Hart said Adum, an Ecuadorian national with legal resident status, appeared to be “on the prowl” prior to the attack.

Suffolk Chief of Detectives Gerard Gigante said Adum passed the victim and a female friend, walking on Main Street.

The girls began to “pick up the pace” after they noticed the suspect had “exposed himself,” Hart said.

When they turned the corner from Main Street onto Prospect Street, Gigante said, Adum attacked them from behind. He hit his victim in the head, knocked her to the ground and sexually assaulted her. The friend ran for help, according to Gigante.

Hart said surveillance footage captured the attack, as well as the suspect leaving in a white Honda Civic with a black stripe.

The car was spotted by police the next night on New York Avenue in Huntington. The car was pulled over and Adum arrested.

“Surveillance video was critically important to solving this case, along with excellent police work,” Sini said in a release. “The defendant is now facing significant time in prison for this heinous act where he will no longer be a threat to women or to the Huntington community.”

Adum pleaded guilty before Acting Suffolk County Court Judge Karen M. Wilutis. Under the plea deal he is expected to receive a sentence of 15 years in prison at sentencing scheduled for July 2, Sini said.